A lyrical voice

Reviewed by Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

"To him, whose elastic and vigorous thought keeps pace with the sun, the day is a perpetual morning."

- Henry David Thoneau -

Poetry gets produced with such startling profusion that one would have thought all formats of lyrical expression are by now well-nigh exhausted.

But, an occasional poet emerges, whose creative vision can jolt us awake into a fresh perception of life and its multiplicity of ways.

Recently, I came upon a slender anthology of poetry that articulates intimate thoughts and perceptions, in an individualistic lyrical voice, which though subdued and restrained, can still deliver a vigorous wake-up call to nudge even the most somnolent of critics to sit up and take notice.

Feminist poetry

This is feminist poetry. But I must hasten to add that this is not an attempt to characterise the urge and the intent of the poetry. It is merely my of indicating that the creator of these poems is a woman. I must assure you, with all the earnestness I can muster, that there is not even the slightest trace of a pursuit of the ideals of any aggressive movement in the totality of this anthology.

The author of this collection is Samanmali Padmakumara. From her early girlhood she took an unabashed delight in reciting poetry. This trait eventually escalated into a deep yearning to write poetry. With a self-propelled spontaneity, she penned and recited lyrics. At parties and intimate get-togethers, she rendered her own compositions. With the current work, she presents her creations to the public domain to regale those would approach her poetry. In a personal note she says that those who read and recite her poetry will give her strength and joy.

Aesthetic flavour

Let us turn to her lyrical offering. The title in Sinhala Sasobana Anganavo exudes a soothingly aesthetic flavour. In English, it could be "comely maidens."

The opening piece itself gives the reader a concept that possesses a metaphysical depth. In this intriguing poem, she personifies her abstract "inspiration" as an amorphous urge, that cannot be tamed by specific definitions. The poem confesses: "you are but a feeling. But, the feeling has feelings."

This is a keen display of unusual lyrical sensation.

The poet's lyrical exploration leads to less metaphysical but emotionally moving human experiences. The piece titled "One in a thousand," has as its central theme the harrowing experience of less, through the utterly relentless fury of the impersonal tsunami.

The poet serves a multi-themed smorgasbord of lyrical dishes, in varying rhythms and meanings, leaving the reader bewildered in an array of alluring choices.

All the lyrical compositions, enshrined in this fascinating collection, possess unmistakeable common trait. They have each in its own way - a 'recitability'. When you glance through the lines, you can feel your subconscious, reciting them rhythmically. The lyrics lend themselves eminently to rendering aloud.

The 'recitability" varies in rhythm from poem to poem. A composition that may celebrate the sacred, comes with a reciting style that befits a holy subject matter.

Constellation

When the reader makes his way through this constellation of minor creative stars, he will invariably wonder where he should stay for a considerable time. This is because all the lyrics brief or long so clearly demand the discriminating reader's concentrated attention.

The poet is adept at the dramatic visualisation of even a matter-of-fact routine situation. In Samugatta (Bade farewell), the poet transforms into a highly moving episode, an ordinary recurrence - in this instance the death of a squirrel. The poet weaves the incidental sounds and utterances implicit in the episode into a series of lyrical interludes.

Celebration of love

The poet's celebration of the love for mother is the elevation into a highly memorable classical status, a sentiment known to each human child, without a distinction.

I cannot help but record here that I was impressed no end by the poet's autobiographical monologue of the ubiquitous three wheeler. A sensitive poet can without much of an attempt get into the skin of a living being human and animal.

But, identifying one's self with the inanimate contraption needs out-of-the ordinary inventive skills.

The litany of separation, titled "Turbulent" possesses a compelling incantatory ring that communicates an earnest imploration. The spirit of the composition is a heart-rending harrowing cry, emanating from the depths of an excruciating inner pang.

Impactful revelation

The total anthology is an impactful revelation of an unusually poetic soul that has witnessed the world and its endless fluctuations over a long period of time with a sustained sensitivity.

The externalisation of those deeply-felt sensations in rhythmic, compelling lyrics is to my mind an important creative triumph.

Artist and graphics expert Sasanka Dasanayka has enhanced the quality of discipline and restrained style of the total work.

The book is an assurance that innovation of the formats of lyrical expression is perpetually possible where the writer has taken the creation of poetry as a responsible and divine task.