‘Be productive with your feelings’

It is quite a bold idea to imagine a conversation between two creators: One a poet and the other the Almighty.  Mugdha Chauhan , class 11 student at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, has indeed got the gift of poetic imagination. 

In the Apeejay Promising Poet’s interview, the young heart says how poetry helps her in dealing with the feelings, which she does not share with others and also in making the best of those troubled waters. Edited excerpts:

Since when did you start writing poems?

I have been writing poems since when I was in class 7. Earlier, my poems weren’t so polished, but eventually I improved and started sharing my poems with a few readers.

What sparked your interest in poetry?

I do not confide much in my friends or in the people around. It is just my brother and my mother with whom I express myself. So, I found that when feelings overflow and there is too much to take in, it is better to write it all down on a piece of paper. Better to be productive with your feelings rather than crying about it.

Your poem ‘The Sun’ was very interesting. What was the central idea?

Everybody has a different opinion about this poem. The basic idea that I had was a conversation between the poet and God. The poet was expressing herself, her mistakes, how she wishes to go back in time and avoid those mistakes. So, God builds a boundary around her and protects the poet. 

How does your school help you to write such beautiful poems?

We really express ourselves in the English classes at school. My English teacher Ms. Ritu Sharma encourages me a lot. I would never share my poems earlier because I was a new admission this year. But she encouraged me to share my poems with the Apeejay newsroom website.

What kind of poems do you like to write?

I like to write poems on nature. I like topics on which everyone can feel connected.

Rhyme or Free verse?

Free verse! It is much more interesting. It is easier to get all your thoughts down on paper. There is no stress of rhyme. 

Tell us about the process of writing a poem?

I write a poem in one go almost every time. It takes me hardly 10 minutes to write a poem. It is a short creative burst!

Your next poems?

I will be writing on ‘Time’ next. I have some ideas. I am planning something!

One advice for budding poets?

Express yourself freely! The world out there has some tyrants, but a poet’s feelings help so many to get through emotions in life which they otherwise won’t easily share.

What do you love the most about writing poems?

In writing a poem, we don’t directly have to convey our problems to all. Everyone gets a different interpretation of our poems and it’s fine to get different interpretations of our poems rather than getting different opinions on life.