Poetry full of promise

Reviewed by R. S. Karunaratne

A reviewer of poetry can approach it as a grim duty because people write poems for sheer enjoyment, not to be dissected by others. However, when a request is made to write a review, it can be a chore. For that matter, Don Juan in Spanish legend found even the act of love as a chore!

The poet writes poems easily because he is inspired by his feelings. For him it is not a chore. But the reviewer has to make an effort to enjoy what the poet has written. He is at liberty to pick and choose.

Unlike prose, poetry demands individual attention to relate to each poem. So, you cannot review a poem after reading it superficially. However, writing about poetry has its own rewards. If read with understanding a good poem can add something to our simple pleasures in life. It is like smelling a beautiful flower in a bright morning.

Most of the poems found in Sketches need explication. However, as it is not possible to explicate each poem, an attempt is made here to do justice to a few of them. One poem titled “Who am I?” stands out prominently because of its philosophical overtones. Nobody can answer it adequately as it involves so many aspects of life. Not only the poet but also many other people want to know who they are.

The poet says,

“Am I what they say I am?

Or am I what I call myself?

It's a mystery,

An unresolved conflict within me,

Who am I?”

Another poem that commands attention is “Troubled waters” which is full of metaphors: “the spring of doubt, a river of confusion, whirlpool of thought” are quite striking and memorable.

The poem shows the modern man's predicament: He is confused and lost in deep thought. Most of the people we meet do not know what they are doing or where they are going. As one poet put it, they are not living but drifting.

Once a critic said, “The bulk of English poetry is bad.” He was referring to all poems printed over the past 600 years. Even seasoned poets write bad poems. How do we know whether a particular poem is good or bad? Sometimes, readers wonder where to find good poetry. One time-tested method of gauging poetry is to ascertain whether a particular poem moves us or engages our sympathies. For instance, some of the poems such as “Golden mile” and “One” fail to move the reader.

Like a tree a poet has to grow and be nourished by what other poets write. He needs more exposure to poems written by Gerard Manley Hopkins or Emily Dickinson among a host of other leading poets.

Sketches shows great promise.