Describing Lord Shiva with a 360 view

Would you believe it if I said a class 6 student wrote a 38 line poem on Lord Shiva. In the poem, the young wordsmith has craftily described Lord Shiva and his various forms in an epic tone and tenor. Sanchit Gupta from Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar is such a talent. In this week’s Poet of the Week interview series, the budding poet takes us by surprise as he reveals Ved Vyas as his idol and the Mahabharata as his favourite literary work. Need one say anything further? Read on:

At what age did you start writing poetry?

I started when I was 9 years of age, so it hasn’t been much time yet.

That’s impressive! What inspired you to write poems?

The primary reason was the freedom and ability to clearly and creatively express my thoughts. I love to write on mythological characters. Mythology is my inspiration rather, I would say it is my passion, my area of interest. I love the way the characters are described in mythology. I love including them in my poems, describing them further and writing about them.  

Was that the thought process behind your poem: Shiva?

I adore Lord Shiva. Stories of Lord Shiva’s magnanimity explain how vast the universe is. And they are also a reminder of how vast the powers of Shiva, the Adi Yogi are. I am mesmerised by Lord Shiva as a God, as a mythological figure. My poem is a tribute to “The Adiyogi”.

Who is your favourite poet and what is your favourite poem?

My favourite poet is Ved Vyas, whose real name is Krishna Daipayan. One can now clearly guess my favourite poem. It is Ved Vyas ji’s eternal creation Mahabharata.

Pick one: Rhyme or free verse?

I like free verse more if I have to choose one. But my craft still has something to do with rhyming. It makes the poem attractive.

What do you prefer: writing poems in the day or night?

I am not a night owl. I love to write in the daytime.

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

My school teachers help me understand different poetic devices. They also help me discover the latent meanings within a poem. This in turn has played a great role in shaping my vision towards a poem. It has also added to my understanding of poems.

How do you approach writing a poem?

A poem is my way to express my feelings. It takes me about a week to write a poem. I love to write on mythology, nature and science. These are among my most treasured themes. 

Lastly, the best thing about writing poetry for you?

I will answer this in one line. My pen can speak my words.