Suman Pokhrel : A Poet to Reckon with / Anuja Ghosh
Far too long we have romanticized poetry by the classical greats. My exposure to English poetry was limited to the eternal favorites like William Wordsworth, Lord Alfred Tennysonand the likes of Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was incidental that on 11 March 2013, I found a copy of the Hindustan Times at our doorstep instead of our regular newspaper. The article on the SAARC Literary Awardees of 2013 attracted my attention. In 2013, the SAARC Literary Award was given to five poets from five different countries of the SAARC region. I wanted to read their poems. I was keen to get familiar with the works of the people of our region, our generation. In my pursuit, I succeeded in finding some poems of one of those recognized poets. Suman Pokhrel's works collected in different volumes of The Art of Being Human, anthologies published in Canada by Blurb Books came as a pleasant surprise to me.At first, I found Suman Pokhrel as a realistic poet. The impressionable images created by him allow his readers to introspect. His poems revolve around the nuances of life. The play around his choice of words creates magic in the minds of his readers. His poems carry an earthy essence with a nostalgic yearning.From the selected poems the Children creates tenderness in the mind. It is indescribable the way the poet has drawn out the innocence of children metaphorically with Nature. The rhetoric question at the end leaves an indelible mark in the minds of the reader.Suman Pokhrel comes as a poet with a strong tender voice. He partakes in the mundane aspect of life with a passion that makes his reader to elevate to a higher self.Tree by Suman Pokhrel is an exemplary poem, a poetic delight in the form of our umbilical ties to our roots. There is 'cry for home' felt in the tug of the heart with every descriptive narration. Suman Pokhrel, the poet has successfully touched the soul.My personal favorite The TajMahal and My Love is an innovative poem. The epitome of love creates awe in the mind of one and all falls short to a lover who wants to give it all in this lifetime and not be delusional like Shah Jahan. The poet has penned down the poem with reverence to the greatness of TajMahal.A Story of the Setting Sun and The Moon comes across to me with a wee bit of mystic element to it. The poet has used the figure of speech to personify the Chautari. It is the woe of the Chautari expressed by the poet in waiting longingly for the road. By the sharp use of words the poet has been able to equate the Chautari's craving for the road as that of lovers. The poet goes on to pair up the Sun and the Moon with the same angst of separation. The poet has crafted his poetry beautifully. This poem, though, leaves a vacuum in the chest. It focuses on the transient nature of life.After reading these poems I am compelled to look into the minute details of the things around. His poem Every Morning emphatically declares the uncertainty of existence. It comes as a rude shock that how casually we take everything for granted. In a world which is filled with a plethora of violence, tragedy and devaluation of life the poet seeks gratitude for his being. We tend to overlook the simplest of things in our quest for a better life Suman Pokhrel's Every Morning is like a gentle reminder to mankind. After reading the poem Every Morning I need no further cajoling to read the poet's work.I want to delve into the poet's mind to understand his perspective of life when I read Entanglements. In the mad rush of life the poet is urging us to slow down and appreciate life in all its simplicity. What I like the most about this young poet's style of writing is the lucidity. The poem creates a myriad of images in my mind which had remained oblivious in the pressing need of time. The last few lines of the poem is so thought provoking that I am sure it is going to haunt me in the days to come.I am left spellbound by Suman Pokhrel's Colour of Horizon. The radiance of the rising sun each day never goes unnoticed at the break of dawn. Just as the evening sun's colour spread on the canvass of the horizon's last shore beguiles us. The poet is tormented by the spurt of colours in the horizon. There is pathos in his expression of relinquished love subtly suggested through the meeting and parting of the earth and sky. The quintessential element of romance is aplenty in this poet's work, which I am sure will touch across the generations.I consider the poem You Are, as You Are as almost sacred. The poet exudes humility in expressing love. The importance of love quotient in one's life is spelled in this poem, a simple submission almost in the form of a ritual. There is an abundance of sublime purity in his expression of love.My sojourn with Suman Pokhrel's literary work continues. I feel privileged to pen down my appreciation for his brilliant work. There are so many emotions which ran through my being while I savoured his poems from The Art of Being Human. I hope Suman Pokhrel is read far and wide across the globe.
