‘My poems are learnings from my life,’ says budding poet

Aanya Singh, a class 9 student at Apeejay School, Noida, has a quality that many poets lack. It is clarity, many poets prefer chaos and paint abstract meanings with their words. But real art is when the reader is able to grasp the meaning without any difficulty;  the idea travels straightaway to the heart. 

In this week’s Promising Poet interview, Aanya speaks about what got her started into verse and how she manages to successfully inspire her friends to also join the literary soiree. Read edited excerpts

Since when did you start writing poetry?

I was 10 when I started writing poetry. Writing was the only platform that gave me the space to express myself and my talent. 

There must have been some inspiration?

I write about things and events that happened in my life. I write about my learnings from these situations. I recently wrote a poem called ‘Problems of life’. In that I wrote how problems try to weaken us, but we have to stay strong. My poems are learning from my life.

One poetry tip to a beginner?

Just be yourself and don’t go for fancy words. Writing is all about expressing oneself. 

What is the thought process behind your poem: ‘Shattering skies’?

Whenever someone finds anything lucrative, they go after it. But in many cases I’ve observed that the seemingly attractive thing ends up harming us. For example, in a student’s life, watching a series looks very fascinating but after all it distracts us from our studies.

How does your school support you as a poet?

Whenever I write something, my English teacher motivates me to submit it to the Apeejay Newsroom website for publication. My English teachers, Rinki ma’am and Neha ma’am, are all very supportive.

Who is your favourite poet?

William Shakespeare without a doubt. I see a lot of similarities between his genre and mine. We both love to write about life.

How much time does it take you to write a poem?

It takes me roughly 10 minutes. I am clear about what I want to write in my mind. That helps me a lot.

Writing in the day or night?

Night actually! I have a diary of poems. I write down the poem instead of straightaway typing i

What do you like the most about writing poems?

By writing poems I am able to express myself, vent out my feelings and also encourage others in the process. Whenever I write a poem, it inspires my friends to also pick up the pen

Finally, your upcoming poems?

It is going to be about my next learning in life.