‘Simple or complex: the message of your poem must be clear’

If you look closely, you will be amazed to realise that the sum of teachings across all the different religions in the world is exactly the same. They all teach us to be more humane and to help build a better world. Divya Puri, a student at Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar, has written a beautiful poem on this very philosophy. She advocates for a religion of humanity to take  precedence over everything else. 

In the Apeejay Promising Poet series, literature Post -Graduate student speaks about her admiration for Robert Frost and advises that it is humanity that all people must root for. Edited excerpts:

Did you start writing poetry early on in life?

It has been a while since I started exploring my poetic side and began putting my deep thoughts and emotions in words.

What inspired you to choose poetry ahead of other writing genres?

Poetry for me is a short verse expressing deep thought in an unmatched flow. Thus, when compared to other genres it is way richer for me.

Which poet inspires you the most and which poem is the closest to your heart?

Robert Frost is a great poet-philosopher who puts forth the idea of man’s incomprehensibility towards the mysteries of the universe. ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ is one of my favourite poems from this great poet

All poets have their own process for writing a poem. What’s yours?

Whenever a thought strikes my mind I ponder upon it to find good words that can aid my expression and convey what is meant to be transported. Mine is such a simple process!

Rhyme or free verse?

Rhyme is what I would like to choose over free verse.  As I believe that what a melodic poem does to the readers is the same as what music does to its listeners.

Does the environment at ACFA help inspire the poet in you?

Definitely yes! I acknowledge ACFA for giving us students a platform like Apeejay Newsroom to inspire, encourage and motivate us to write more and publish the works under our names. It feels great!

Your poem ‘Where our existence lies’ speaks about harmonious inter-religion existence. What is the thought behind this?

The poem calls out for religious harmony as I feel that every religion in its true sense expresses the same idea that we are all created by the same creator. So, if we are the children of the same forefather and when nobody is born with a mark of religion on them then why should multi- religions prevail? Why cannot there be just one religion that helps us see every individual as the same and promotes doing good deeds. Why can’t we be just humane?

Tell us about your upcoming poems?

The thought that moved me from within recently was the domestic and social status of the modern women in 2022. I will write about this very soon.

One thing every poet must know?

The message of your poem is the most important, no matter simple or complex, but it must be clear.