Author: Vihang A. Naik
ISBN: 81-8443-033-7
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: INDIALOG Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Language: English
Price: Rs. 135
Reviewed By:
Dr. Vishwanath Bite
Editor-In-Chief,
The Criterion: An International Journal in English www.the-criterion.com
Editor-In-Chief,
Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal www.galaxyimrj.com
Assistant Professor in English
Government of Maharashtra
Ismail Yusuf College of Arts Commerce and Science, Jogeshwari (E) Mumbai, 400060.
Poetry Manifesto is a collection of new & selected poems by Vihang A. Naik, India’s contemporary award winning bilingual poet who is widely published and anthologised. Some of his published poetry collections are Making A Poem (2004), City Times and Other Poems (1993), and Jeevangeet (Gujarati 2001).
This anthology is compiled of 72 well written poems with variety of themes including social, religious, cultural and political. These poems are divided in 11 random sections: Poems, Are you Looking for that Poet?, The Poet as a Young Man, Making a Poem, A Poem Comes Alive, Poet, Love Song of a Journey Man, Mirrored Men, Self Portrait, At the Shore and City Times. Opening poem in the collection is New Website, a symbolic poem where poet has thrown light on the present scenario of the techno-savvy world.
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Another poem Gujrat (26th January, 2001) is the most expressive about the natural disasters and man’s helplessness, sense of loss and much more. Poet is very sensitive depicting the environment around be it political, natural or social.
On Gujarat’s face of gold Now
Only horrific cracks and
a sense of great loss.
In his poems Indian Summer, Summer Hill Devdas, Gujarat (26th January, 2001), Platform, and few others landscape is a crucial element. I personally liked first section of 28 poems entitled “Poems” in this section reader can find easily the essence of Naik’s poetry. In his poetry we can see many traditions of poetry combined to mention a few Romantic, Naturalistic, Realistic and modern. A fine example of social awareness in his poetry is ‘Woman and Man’
The woman the image. The image and the man. And in the dark an animal
With a long tongue that salivates.
Naik has also focused on the process of writing poetry, to be more precise he has drawn some lines to tell how a poem should be in A Matter of Life
How about making a poem within A poem? You smell the Ocean and
The sand. A life within a poem.
She composed herself from the surf.
In his one of the finest poems A Poem he laments over the unfortunate reality. And the lines read
You can count your pulse; Monitor your heart beats.
To Love is human. You know by now
You live. You are alive Like rats, cats and dogs.
You discharge feelings, You loose emotions
And flush them to make Clear a poem of words, Words and words.
Poetry Manifesto is one of the brilliant poetry collections in the history of Modern Indian English Poetry. The poems in this collection are vintage, Vihang Naik’s poems are intuitive, thoughtful, philosophical and creative pieces, where the poet displays a confident command, mature, with a fine balance of emotional intensity, irony, ranging across themes and places with experimentation.