Body And Beyond - The Quest In Modern Indian English Women Poets’ Love Poetry

  • Dr. Rashmi Bajaj
  • Dr. Aparna Batra
Keywords: Love, female sexuality, carnal desires, Body thematics, ambivalence, quest, ultimate vision

Abstract

Publication of Kamala Das’ Summer in Calcutta (1965 ) was a kind of  crossing of  the Rubicon for Indian English poetry and particularly Indian English women poetry. The bold new themes included  assertion of Gender-identity and uninhibited  expression of  ‘endless female hungers’. Modern Indian English women poets have  unabashedly articulated their  female sexuality and  carnal desires against a rather traditional socio-cultural background. Body thematics has  come to  occupy a prime place in their writings . A significant aspect herein is the ambivalence of these poets’ attitude towards Body and related physicality as they portray both the ‘pains of hell’ and the ‘pleasures of heaven’ related to the Body World. This paper takes up perusal of these  Modern Indian English women poets’ chequered engagement with Body , their exaltations and their disappointments ,their expectations and their disillusionments. It also analyses the undertaken quest and  the ultimate vision of  Love and Life as expressed in the writings of these poets.

Author Biographies

Dr. Rashmi Bajaj

Former Head, Associate Professor Of English , Vaish  P.G College,  Bhiwani-Haryana

Dr. Aparna Batra

Head, Associate  Professor Of English, Adarsh  P.G Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Bhiwani-Haryana

References

1.Chatterjee, Margaret. “In an Earlier Manner.” The Sandalwood Tree.1972. Writers Workshop
,1972 p.37
……. . “Lyric 6.” Towards the Sun. Writers Workshop, 1972,p.17.
……… .“Leila” Towards the Sun, p.20.
………. .“Urban Love”, Towards the Sun, p.20.
............. .“Scars.” Towards the Sun. p.2.
………. .“Ciphers.” The Sound of Wings , Arnold Heinemann, 1978, p.41.
2.Das, Kamala. “ The Suicide.” The Descendants, Writers Workshop, 1967 ,p. 1.
……… “Substitute.”The Descendants. p.14.
………. “Composition.”The Descendants. P.33.
…… “Radha.” The Descendants ,p.9.
……… “ A Phantom Lotus.” Tonight ,This Savage Rite.p.13.
……... “Ghanashyam.”Tonight ,This Savage Rite,p.18.
……. “The Swamp.” The Old Playhouse and Other Poems. Orient Longman, 1973,
p.52.
“The Lion.” Tonight:This Savage Rite. Arnold Heinemann ,1979 ,p 17.
……… “ A Phantom Lotus.” Tonight ,This Savage Rite,p.13.
……... “Ghanashyam.”Tonight ,This Savage Rite,p.18.
3.Deshpande,Gauri.“No More.” Between Births. Writers Workshop,1968, p 7.
……… “Poems on a Lost Love .”Lost Love. Writers Workshop ,1970, p.22.
4.DeSouza,Eunice. “My Students.” Bruce King . Modern Indian Poetry in English,
O.U.P.,1987,p.157.
5.Dharker,Imtiaz. Purdah and Other Poems.O.U.P,1989 ,p.9.
6.Dwivedi,A.N. “ The Changing Pattern of Love: The Contemporary Scene.”Love and Death in
Indian Poetry in English .Edited by S N.A Rizvi. Doaba House,1989,p. 17.
……….. “ Suniti Namjoshi : Art and Artifice in Her Work.” Papers on Indian Writing in
English 1. Amar Prakashan, 1991, p. 208.
7.Ganguly,Pia. “I Love You”. Images on A Stroll. Writers Workshop, 1989, p. 12.
8.Jain, Sunita. “We Met Fair lost.” Love Time. Arnold Heinemann ,p.23.
………… “Let Go.” Love time. Arnold Heinemann , 1980, p.36.
…………. “ Capsuled in Our Hearts.” Silences. National Publishing House, 1982 ,p.28.
9.Jussawalla, Feroza. “Kamala Das: The Evolution of the Self.” The Journal of Indian Writing in English , 10,No 1-
2,1982,p.60.
10.Kalia, Mamta. “Dubious Lovers .” Tribute to Papa and Other Poems. Writers Workshop , p.19.
11. King,Bruce. Modern Indian Poetry in English, O.U.P. 1987, p.157.
12.Lindsay, Philip. “Poetry in Australia.” Critical Essays on Judith Wright .Edited by A.K.Thomson. Jacaranda Press,1968 ,p.35.
13.Mercuse, Herbert. Eros and Civilization.Beacon Press, 1974.
13.Modayil, Sujatha. “Who is She.” We the Unreconciled. Writers Workshop, 1972, p.52.
14.Mookerjee,Tapati. “ The Philosopher's Lament.” Golden Road to Samarkand and Other Poems.Writers
Workshop,1967 ,p.8.
15.Namjoshi, Suniti. “Metamorphosis.” The Jackass and the Lady. Writers Workshop , 36.
16.Pant, Gauri. “Routine.” Staircase. Writers Workshop, 1973, p.14.
17.Pershad, Chitra.”Disarmed.” Harish Raizada. “ Chitra Pershad, Rohini Gupta and Dorothy Sinha.”Contemporary
Indo-English verse 1, p.47.
18.Raizada,Harish. “ Chitra Pershad, Rohini Gupta and Dorothy Sinha.”Contemporary Indo-English Verse 1, p.47.
……… “Nissim Ezekiel’s Poetry of Love and Sex.” Living Indo-English Poets. Edited by Madhusudan
Prasad. Sterling Publishers , 1989, p.74.
19. Ray, Lila. “Is it With You?” O.P. Bhatnagar . “Lila Ray.” Contemporary Indo-English Verse 1 .p.146.
……… . “Love’s Beggar.” Bhatnagar, Contemporary Indo-English Verse 1, p.146.
20.Sharma, M.L. “ The Road to Brindavan: the Theme of Love in Kamala Das’ Poetry.” Contemporary Indo-English Works 1, p.146.
21.Varma, Monika. “The Time of Green Leaves is Gold.” Green leaves and Gold .Writers Workshop, 1970.
….. ..“Gita Govind.” Green Leaves and Gold.
22.Venkateswaran , Lalitha. “Fired.” Declarations. Writers Workshop, 1970.
23.Wig, Nilima. “Down Years.” The Distant Echo. Writers Workshop, 1990, p.10.
Published
2024-02-29
How to Cite
Dr. Rashmi Bajaj, & Dr. Aparna Batra. (2024). Body And Beyond - The Quest In Modern Indian English Women Poets’ Love Poetry. Revista Electronica De Veterinaria, 25(1), 2841 - 2846. https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v25i1.1403
Section
Articles