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| Sunil Sharma |
Hi there!
What does poetry do?
Well, pretty much!
Look at these two statements from S.T. Coleridge who manages to hypnotise us still by his oeuvre:
“Poetry: the best words in the best order.”
And:
“No man was ever yet a great poet, without at the same time being a profound philosopher.”
Let us talk of poetry and poets, bit more.
One of the highlights of this month is the literary dialogue.
The crucial insights gained from the interactive sessions with two important contemporary poets. The observations made by these two poets, famous for their distinct style and grammar, are 24-carat gold in terms of their value and significance for the aesthetics of the new-millennium poetry.
Here are the poets that are constantly innovating, renovating and adding value to your experience as a reader/listener to some fine words, imagery and music native to the form.
Talking of the sources of creativity, Scott Thomas Outlar says: "The innermost spring is the autonomous soul which is connected to the collective source energy of creation (that being consciousness itself)."
A profound statement from one of the big names of poetry globally.
Scott embraces the entire cosmos in his poetic work.
Here, from Sanjeev Sethi ---the post-colonial poet reclaiming voice, agency and space in English---a memorable remark on the craft and process: "That said, the poem should be firm on technique and poetic grammar; it should stand the test of poetic rigor—that, for me, is the only parameter."
Sanjeev writes back to an empire, now lost and faded, kept alive in nostalgia by some stuck in a time-loop.
Voices like Sethi show that the metropolitan centre of English Poetry can shift back easily to the former colonies, rewriting their own histories and recasting the Raj legacy---the dominant instrument of control of the former empire.
The mastering of the English language and telling your own stories to the West is the ultimate irony of the forces of history and laws of economics!
The likes of Naipaul, or Rushdie or Roy, among notable others, have redefined the Western canon.
The wheel has come full circle!
Translation is another focus area.
We have been trying to showcase the best through translations over the years.
Talking of fine translation and its true service across cultures through languages, here is an interesting insight from a great author Italo Calvino:
“Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world.”
So true!
This month, Setu runs a few translations of prose and poetry. Still, lot has to be done in this field of cross-cultural conversations, timeless and borderless, in impact and nature.
Competent translation erects bridges between civilizations.
Author of Month is Kushal Poddar who has a firm grasp over syntax and imagery and produces some startling poetry!
The rest of the issue carries equally fine stuff as well.
Enjoy, please!
Best.
Sunil Sharma,
Toronto, Canada
Gone through the poetry and prose of this issue. Really heartwarming.
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