Poetry is worth it if it amuses the reader, ignites a fire within them and makes them feel and relate to the subject. A poetry can take the reader to a wonderland wherein he jumps onto the train of thoughts of the poet and feels immersed in a perfectly enchanting combination of joy, love, pain, excitement and all the rest feelings.
Writing a poem is like discovering oneself, the end is not pre-decided, the words flow from within the writer and an elegant piece is created with an end which was never meant but still is the best it could ever have. Here are some young yet mature poets to let you experience a different world through this creations.
Table of Contents
Srijani Rupsha Mitra
A prolific writer and poet Srijani Rupsha Mitra hails from the Indian City of Joy – Kolkata, West Bengal. Writing her first poem at the budding age of fifteen. Rupsha has always been fascinated by Indian literature. She remembers being inspired and supported by her grandmother who herself is a poet and writer. Ruspha wrote her first poem in class 9 and it depicted ‘women’. Initially she wrote poems in her mother tongue Bengali and gradually ventured into writing in English. Love, nature, womanhood and politics are her favourite themes to write about. Her love for nature is evident in one of her most loved poems – ‘At the Haridwar Ghat’. Spirituality and transcendence are the realms she loves to explore. Working as a columnist with the magazine called Houghton and Mackay, Rupsha has several literary accolades credited to her name. She is the winner of the BLACC Poetry Contest. Many of her works have been featured in renowned magazines and online platforms like London Reader, Mermaids Monthly, Birmingham Arts Journal, Muse India, North Dakota Quarterly and the like.
Her journey of being a notable poet began from winning the Lockdown Poetry Contest conducted by eShe magazine. From that time, there has been no looking back. She published her debut poetry collection ‘Smoked Frames’ at the age of seventeen and has published one more anthology called ‘Dandelion Skin’ since then. Her works delve deep into human relations, feelings, emotional aspects, nature’s bounties and spirituality. They put forth the perfect mixture of beauty, rhythm and the choicest of words. Her works paint a vivid and breathtaking picture of the subject in the reader’s mind.
Currently an undergraduate English Literature student in Kolkata, she considers herself to be a page poet more than a stage poet. With Kaviguru Shri Rabindranath Tagore being her idol, she flawlessly blends spirituality into her poems and brings out the best from the sea of words.
Sahil Gera
A 20 year old from Jaipur – the Pink City of India, Sahil Gera is a poet with two poem anthologies credited to his name. He generally writes in Hindustani (in Farsi and Devanagari scripts) and English. Writing his first poem in class tenth, he has found his home in the impermanence of life; that is what inspires him to write. An individual with a passion for creative arts, Sahil is also actively involved in collegiate theatre. He adores the works of many great writers like Amrita Pritam, Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Javed Akhtar, gulzar Sahib, William Shakespeare. Oscar Wilde, T.S. Eliot and the like. But he finds his sukoon in Sahir Ludhiani’s ‘Chakle’ and Bahadur Shah Zafar’s ‘Lagta nahi hai dil mera ujade dayar mein’.
Sahil has been a guest speaker at the Jaipur Children’s Festival and one of his anthologies has been exhibited at the Jaipur Literary Festival. He believes that expressing and creating bold pieces of art that reflect the true voices of the oppressed and the innate emotion of our generation is the only thing that can make our lives worthwhile.
Rajeev
A student of technology, Rajeev is a literature enthusiast at heart. He wrote his first poem – a rhyming verse on the theme of separation, in the year 2021. He generally writes in Hindi, English and Urdu. Rajeev derives his inspiration from his surroundings. His inner turmoil and ecstasy are something that drive him towards penning down masterpieces. Currently reading ‘Nadi ke Deep’ by Sachchidanand Heeranand Vatsyayan and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, he urges budding writers to read voraciously. He is an individual in search of himself, the meaning of life and solace. His pen name ‘in_search_of_astitva’ is a true reflection of his ideas and ideals.
He believes that reading broadens horizons and develops creativity in a way no other thing can. Rajeev loves the works of Paulo Coelho, Vinod Kumar Shukl and Dharamveer Bharati. Elif Shafak’s ‘Forty Rules of Love’ and Mana Kaul’s ‘Antima’ are some of his favourite works. On a note to his fellow and budding writers, he says that one should not compare oneself to others. One must derive inspiration but never compare.
Hairat
In love with her pen name, Hairat is an engineering graduate who began her writing journey in class twelfth. Her first poem was a heartwarming piece about the efforts of a mother and her child’s failed acknowledgement of the same. Hairat generally writes in Hindi and English but has a nook of her heart reserved for Hindi poetry. She believes that she has always possessed an urge to let unsaid emotions be penned down. Hairat is currently invested in reading Dr. Brian Weiss’ ‘Many Lives, Many Masters’.
She feels that writing stirs something deep inside her and her pen bleeds spontaneously and effortlessly. With ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini being one of her favourite reads, she derives her inspiration from legendary writers like Rahat Indori, Dagh Dehlavi, Jaun Elia, Manav Kaul, Amish Tripathi, Elif Shafak and Khaled Hosseini. Hairat encourages young minds to read as much as they can to shape their thoughts. She urges the upcoming writers to explore and explore and carve their own niche. She says, “Let your creativity know no bounds. Don’t be discouraged by comparing yourself with other artists because everyone has their own charisma, so do you!”
Purva Dagade
A postgraduate student of Chemistry from Nagpur, Maharashtra and a poet at heart, Purva often goes by her pen name ‘The Frozen Heart. She believes that this is what inspired her to write in the first place. Her first poem written in free verse form back in class tenth narrated the story of betrayal and hope. Purva generally prefers to write in English and feels that writing is her form of salvation. Quotes from her favourite authors and poems by her favourite writers often inspire her to write extraordinary pieces. But mostly, her inner self – joy and grief profoundly bring out the best in her.
Harry Potter by JK Rowling and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho are some of her favourite books. A fan girl of textbook poems, Purva loves to read the works of William Shakespeare, Rabindranath Tagore, Alfred Tennyson and the like. She also follows Korean/Chinese dramas and finds her muse in the wonderful dialogues from them. To name a few, Doctor Slump and When I Fly Towards you have been some of her all time favourites. Purva strives to ensure that her creative pieces resonate with the reader’s mind. They should build a connection beyond the ordinary and let readers find their solace in them. She advises the younger generation of writers to express themselves as freely as they wish to. She says, “Be an artist for your passion first, and do not let the opinions of others intimidate you. Believe in yourself and your art.”
Bidya
Coming from a small town of Odisha, India, Bidya is a poet who writes in her mother tongue Odia and English. She initially started her journey by writing short stories in Odia but she could never finish them. Then she tried to portray her feelings in the form of poetry, but could not do it well either. This led Bidya to quit writing for almost 5-6 years. But better late than never, she bounced back with fervour and restarted her journey by posting her thoughts on an app custom made for the same purpose. Bidya then started receiving immense love and support from her readers and fellow writers on the platform. And till date, she finds her serenity there and considers it to be a memorable experience for herself. Writing her first poem about rain, she believes that nothing can inspire a writer more than their solitude.
Bidya is currently reading a poetry collection called ‘Love is a Dog from Hell’ by Charles Bukowski. Khaled Hosseini and Franz Kafka are her all time favourites. Her love for them knows no bounds as she loses herself in their works leading her to complete reading them in just two – three days. Bidya has always derived her inspiration from the phenomenal works of Sylvia Plath. Emily Dickinson and John Milton also inspire her to write stunning poems. She feels that the upcoming generation of writers is indeed great, but most of them are chasing likes and comments on social media. She urges them to be original and read well. She believes that continuity is the key and expressing oneself and eventually building vocabulary will let them bloom into beautiful metaphors.