3 Writing Lessons I Learned From Kamala Das & her Poetry | Neha's Notebo...

Kamala Surayya Das is widely known late Indian poetess and Malayali author, also known as the Mother of Modern English Indian Poetry. Famous for her open-bold expression and confessional autobiographical poetry, she wrote mostly in English and Malayalam. Here are a few points that we can learn from her writing style.

 

#1 Storytelling expression

Even though, most of her work was of autobiographical nature, the storytelling style of her poetry made readers connect with it. For instance, this is a stanza from her poem ‘Punishment in Kindergarten’ in which she describes a childhood experience.

 

Today the world is a little more my own.

No need to remember the pain

A blue-frocked woman caused, throwing

Words at me like pots and pans, to drain

That honey-coloured day of peace.

‘Why don't you join the others, what

A peculiar child you are!'

No need to remember the pain

A blue-frocked woman caused, throwing

Words at me like pots and pans, to drain

That honey-coloured day of peace.

‘Why don't you join the others, what

A peculiar child you are!'

 

#2 Freestyle Flow

Here’s a verse from her collection Summer in Calcutta. Notice how she is writing without any particular technique or rhyme scheme. In free verse. A major portion of her poetry was in free verse. And, with no particular poetic device or pattern.

 

Again, I am drunk

Yes, but on the gold

of suns, What noble

venom now flows through

my veins and fills my

mind with unhurried

laughter? My worries

doze. Wee bubbles ring

my glass, like a bride’s

nervous smile…

Yes, but on the gold

of suns, What noble

venom now flows through

my veins and fills my

mind with unhurried

laughter? My worries

doze. Wee bubbles ring

my glass, like a bride’s

nervous smile…

 

 

You lead me along a route

I have never known before

 

(She writes in her poem Tonight This Savage Rite)

 

#3 Metaphors & Imagery

Imagery is one of the most essential elements of poetry. Even though, it might not necessarily be related to pictures but pertaining to any sense including smell, touch, sound, taste or image. Poetess Kamala Das too, used lots of metaphors in her poetry; examples of which include Sun, sea, house, window glass, bangles, funeral fires, nature, human body etc.

One such example of her poem is Words. See how she compares the sounds of words with leaves in this verse.

 

All round me are words,
and words and words,
They grow on me like leaves, they never
Seem to stop their slow growing
From within... ~