‘There’s a whole universe to choose your words from!’

Ananya is young but mature emotionally. It reflects in the choices of the poems she likes. She is a huge fan of Walt Whitman and loves not only reading, but also understanding what went in the mind of the poet while he wrote a particular verse. In this week’s Promising Poet, the student from Apeejay School, Charkhi Dadri in Haryana shares what makes poetry special to her. Read edited excerpts:    

We would love to know how you got into poetry?

My interest in poetry writing developed around the time when I was 13. I had always been a good reader and so, weaving the words in my mind into a poem was not a big deal at first. Initially, I started writing poems just in a fun way and wrote many verses whenever I would find the time. But after that I took a long break to reflect on my craft.

What inspired you to write poems?

At first, I used to write in a ‘goofy’ way, but now as my reading horizon has increased, I feel inspired to write in a lively language. I want my words to convey the philosophy behind them, and I aim to portray the myriad emotions people around me show. One of my favourite books that led me to this mental approach is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I also read about other people’s thoughts online, their literary creations that inspire me to write more and better.

Tell us the thought behind your poem Ashes sound sweet?

In this poem, I put myself in place of a person, who due to certain situations feels that he cannot live freely anymore. He is stuck in a society filled with conservative thoughts. His feelings were crushed and his powerful thoughts could not fly out of the social cage. But interestingly enough, despite all this pain, he refused to die. He would not accept defeat without using his full potential. He was aware about his inner power and wanted to create something enormous through it. So, he wrote about his inner revolt in the poem.

Your favourite poet and poem

 Walt Whitman’s poems attract me a lot. My favourite poems from his works are: O Me! O Life! and O Captain My Captain!

Rhyme or free verse?

Rhyme is good, but I personally prefer free verse because there are no restrictions in it. It gives you a whole universe to choose your words from.

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

Night! I prefer writing in complete silence, so night time is my writing time and definitely alongside my cup of tea.

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

My school gives a platform for my poems. My English teachers have helped me develop my vocabulary and to expand my thoughts to understand the great writings and learn from them. 

How do you approach writing a poem?

Whenever I get an idea I quickly write it down. I observe the things on which I decide to write my poem on. My poems are usually based on emotions like envy, guilt, fright and delight. I first collect whatever lines come in my blank mind and then I give them shape and weave them into a poem.

Lastly, the best thing about writing poetry for you?

Poetry has helped me share my feelings and has made me feel more appreciated and loved by people. It is a nice way to disguise our feelings behind words. One can indirectly open up to people about certain feelings while they would think it’s just a poem.