‘I love writing about India,’ says this class 10 poet 

Smita Tanwar loves writing patriotic poems. The ‘veer-ras’ is in fact the specialty of this class 10, Apeejay School, Noida student. He recent poem: Shackles to sun is a prominent proof of the rhymester’s poetic prowess.

Selected in this week’s Apeejay Promising Poet interview, let us read what the youngling has to share about her writing process and inspirations.

Smita, how old were you when you wrote your first poem?

I started writing poems in my primary classes. However, during the lockdown, I lost the flow and my touch with poetry got broken. Then, again in class 8, I re-discovered my poetic self as the school reopened and I am enjoying myself with every poem since then.

So, what got you started into poetry?

I have been asked this question so many times before my family, friends and teachers, that I had to apply my creative self to write a shayari that answers the question.

‘Bohot khoob!’ so you can write in two languages?

Yes! I am equally fluent and comfortable in both English and Hindi. I love writing poems in English, Hindi shayaris and kavita.

One poet whose poem connected the most with your heart?

I loved the poem The Coromandel Fishers by Sarojini Naidu. I really loved how she portrayed that one can earn their nation’s independence by following in the brave footsteps of the fishermen. The fishermen risk their lives daily, challenging the unpredictable ocean in search of their goal. 

Wow! So was that the inspiration behind your patriotic poem Shackles to sun?

Indeed! Sarojini Naidu’s poem did indeed inspire me much. However, the poem is also a product of my observation, how some of my friends and neighbors are blindly fascinated by western culture. They tend to forget and ignore our unique identity, roots and history. This poem is a celebration of what we truly are as India!

Tell us about your poetry time now?

All my poems are written during my free time in the school. I don’t have a fixed time for writing a poem.  It depends on the mood, the surrounding and other factors. 

Free verse or rhyme?

I am comfortable in both. It depends on my thought process and the requirement for a particular poem. 

Any favorite topics for writing?

I love to write about India and nature. I am a very patriotic person at heart and am very passionate about expressing my nation and its eternal soulful spirit through my work. 

Any latest poem?

I recently wrote a poem on exams which I recited as part of my class assembly. I got a great response from students and teachers alike on this poem. 

How does the school encourage you as a poet?

I always consult my English teacher Jyotsna ma’am while writing a poem. Ma’am guides me in the structure and vocabulary for the poem. Other teachers too help me with ideas.

Do your friends get excited on seeing your poems published at the Apeejay Newsroom website?

Truth be told, I am more excited than them and  tell them twice or thrice beforehand to read my poem at the website (laughs) But my friends always read my poems and then discuss them with me.