NARRATIVE POETRY REPLETE WITH EVOCATIVE THEMES

Book Review: "Winter Poems" by Sabarna Roy

Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making the voices of the narrator and characters as well. Such poems can portray a multitude of themes, and like all poetry, have a profound influence on the imagination of the readers. The author Sabarna Roy comes up such a book “Winter Poems”, in which he employs the narrative style for the poems, and these poesies deal with imaginative, evocative and poignant themes.

The poems are winter poems as they have been written during the winters, and have been inspired by the relatively mild season that prevails in Kolkata following the festive seasons of Durga Puja and Kali Puja. By the writer’s own admission, most of his poems are written during the winters, which he says “has something to do with the sudden outburst of fecundity in verse”. He writes most of his prose during the summer and rainy seasons.

The poems in this collection are in two parts. Winter Poems-2010, which contains a series of 12 poems, mostly deals with the imaginations of death and home.

Winter Poems-2012 is a series of 26 poems. These mostly deal with the idea of loss and coming to terms with gradual wasting of life. In one such poem from this segment, the poet’s poetic mettle is on full display in the lines- “The crisp sunshine of the winters reminds me of a game we played during our childhood days/ Of concentric circles”. The poem ends with the lines- “Oh! Crispy sunshine/ Come have a cup of tea and biscuits with us.”

Some of the poems in this collection are leisurely; while some grip you with the esoteric themes and emotional depth that they convey. These poems blend poetic verve and profound themes, while also posing deep philosophical questions. There are various metaphorical associations and allegorical connotations included in the lyrical text. Written in an ornate voice that echoes great sagacity, these poems are thoughtful, tender and wise.