‘Not everyone is a poet’

What feeling is the most sacred to all living beings? It is not love, rebellion, or self-esteem. It is freedom. Everyone loves their independence dearly. This is the prime factor for a happy blissful life.

Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC) student Aksh Gupta however, has taken the understanding of freedom to a higher spiritual level. He questions the reader that they are only free if they are brave enough to live as they want to. Selected as Poet of the Week, Aksh explains what makes poets stand out from the crowd and elaborates on his set formula of writing a poem.  

Aksh! When did writing poetry become indispensable to you?

My writing journey began right after my 12 class examinations.  I joined the literary club of my college and discovered amity with the incredible world of poetry. There has been no looking back since then.

What inspired you to begin?

It is difficult to answer this. But I would say that my ability to challenge myself to become a writer, inspired me to become one in reality. Hope that makes sense!

It certainly does! So tell us about your recent poem, the one you wrote in Hindi?

I think independence is something we all love as human beings. But there are different parameters of independence for every individual. So, I wrote the poem according to my parameters of independence which I hope reflect a larger universal understanding of the same.

Your favourites in poetry?

From my perspective, no such thing like a favourite exists. I like and respect everyone’s art and I love to explore different genres of poetry from different poets. Can’t really pinpoint one.

Which is your preference – Rhyme or Free verse?

Rhyme any day! I like doing that.

And writing poems in the day or night?

Not a specific time again. I write when I want to write, it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is.

So how has AIMC supported you as a poet?

AIMC has given me a platform and instilled in me the confidence to explore both literature and myself. They helped me to realise my potential as a writer.

Excellent! Could you please now let us into how you approach writing a poem? And how much time does it take you to finish one?

My approach is based around four simple things. Imagination, observation, registration and justification. If as a poet you excel in these sectors, then writing a poem becomes very easy. It usually takes me about half an hour to finish a poem depending on its genre. I mostly write romantic and patriotic poems.

And finally, the best thing about writing poetry for you is?

It helps me to stand out from the crowd as everyone is not a poet. Writing also gives your personality a charm which non-writers dream of.