‘Tomorrow your roar will be the loudest,’ says young Jalandhar poet

Helik is a very optimistic poet. His attitude is praiseworthy indeed. For at such a tender age, the poet from Apeejay School, Tanda Road, has realised that it is more important to build on one’s abilities than be insecure about the flaws. 

In this week’s Promising Poet interview, Helik takes us down a literary ride as he speaks about his favourite poets and the works that teach him a hundred lessons. Read edited excepts on:

How old were you when you wrote your first poem?

I was 12 when I wrote my first poem: ‘A man’s dream’. The poem speaks about how one should aim and act for one’s goals instead of just dreaming about them. It was actually a part of an assignment that I had got from school. 

What inspired you to pick up the pen?

I used to love making rhyming riddles. That’s when I thought to pick up the pen and just write about a world of my own. Apart from poems, I’m also very fond of writing stories. I also love to sketch, dance, participate in music and learn about astronomy.

How does your school encourage you in writing such beautiful poems?

My school teachers have taught me many beautiful poems such as ‘Seven ages’ by William Shakespeare, ‘Ozymandias’ by P.B Shelly and ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth. It’s obvious that anyone can write a good poem when they are being taught such amazing poems.

Our favourite poetry question: Rhyme or free verse?

I genuinely choose rhyme because here one has to choose a word that not only makes sense but also rhymes. One has to also follow certain poetic devices in rhyme, which I find very interesting. But this doesn’t mean in any manner that free verse is inferior. Free verse is also a skill that has to be learned with effort. A good free verse poem will always stand out.

What was the thought behind your poem: ‘Towards’?

The poem is all about how not to lose faith in yourself and get up every time you fall. It’s also about validation and insecurities. It speaks about how every teenage mind needs validation whether it be through academics or something else. Everyone gets insecure and jealous by looking at one’s flaws and forgetting one’s abilities.

The poem is indeed very optimistic! As a poet what would be your attitude in life?

As a poet, I feel like focusing on one’s flaws and constantly crying about them is only going to make one a weaker person.  One must try instead to enhance one’s abilities and talent. Today, no one might listen to you but tomorrow your roar will be the loudest. Have a dream and work on it!

How do you approach a poem?

It takes me about 2-3 hours to write a poem. To begin with, I think about my poem’s structure and the figure of speeches I’ll be using. Then I highlight the words that will make my poem attractive and then begin to think of matching words that will rhyme and make sense.

Finally! Your favourite poem and poet?

My favourite poem is ‘Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening’. I feel it is very witty and minutely detailed. My favourite poets are William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman.  I really like Whitman’s celebrated poem ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ and Wordsworth’s verse ‘The world is too much with us’.