Lend a year to poetry

Jibanondo Das in West Bengal. Amrita Pritam in Punjab. Arun Kolatkar in Maharashtra. And Sirpi Balasubramaniam in Tamil Nadu. These are just four names that constitute a rich legacy of Indian poetry, such that no other country can really boast of master wordsmiths writing in so many varied languages. Right from the time of the epics, we have had people from every corner documenting their history or even just the human condition in their own way through the medium of lyrical verses. Now, a book called A Poem a Day (HarperCollins India) will collect 365 of the more contemporary pieces into one volume, thanks to the effort that lyricist and scriptwriter Gulzar has put in. The literary icon says that he started with selecting the works of his own favourite poets, but ended up including 279 of them in total, translating each poem into Hindi or English if they were in a regional language, and taking the liberty to give them his own spin. He says, A Poem a Day began as a thought why not have a poem to read for every day of the year, selected from the wonderful Indian poetry that has been written since 1947? But I also firmly believe that poetry doesn't know any borders. So, along with poets from Gujarat, Punjab, Kerala, Goa and Odisha, I included poets writing in Tamil in Sri Lanka, in Urdu and Punjabi in Pakistan, and in Bangla in Bangladesh. There are thus 35 languages that this volume covers. And the idea behind the title which will be released in July this year is to provide some succour to readers during this uncertain time. Gulzar says, I feel we need poetry and the power of words more than ever in the difficult times we are going through; I hope that this volume will be a companion people will want to have by their side as we walk into the [unknown] future. Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates. Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Lend a year to poetry

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