Try your hand at verse on World Poetry Day, experimenting with newer and bolder forms and styles
Ripal Abhay Dixit
For centuries, poetry has helped us express love, release anger, communicate social issues and invoke emotions. From ballads and sonnets to haikus and nonets, poetry has continued to evolve. With World Poetry Day on March 21, poets discuss their favourite styles.
Back to the roots
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Ripal Abhay Dixit, 33, who started a community of poets and writers called Poets Of Mumbai, practices the “archaic” style of poetry that uses language, structures, and themes that seek to emulate the past. Dixit explains, “It [archaic poetry] enables me to connect with our literary roots and take a nostalgic trip to the past. You get to delve into the language and lexicon employed by renowned poets to convey their emotions and musings. This, in turn, offers a distinctive outlook and comprehension of their literary creations.”
Go with the flow
Sonnet Mondal
Award-winning Indian poet Sonnet Mondal, who has authored An Afternoon in Mind and six other books of poetry, writes in free verse. This style doesn’t need to have a pattern and rhyme—it simply follows natural speech. He feels that the intersection of perception, language, and articulation is not perfect, hence, his poetry fills that gap. He keeps his poems short and sparse. “I make an effort to end my poems in a way that enables readers to return to the poem’s beginning. This is to make them experience the joy of the inconclusive. I’ve written sonnets in the past, but I no longer favour adhering to any particular format since I want the words to flow naturally.”
Feel the blues
Words have the power to emote—and sometimes those feelings can be intense. Melancholic writing style allows the poet to convey a sense of sadness using sombre language, themes, and imagery to express emotional pain or longing. Dixit says, “This style of writing can be used to explore a wide range of topics, from personal experiences to social issues. The aim is to evoke a deep emotional response from the reader or listener.” Bhavesh Makwana’s raw and dark writing is highly recommended.
Make a list
As the name suggests, the flow of the verse is structured as a list, where each point in the list may be a phrase, sentence, or simply a word. It tries to convey the message in a concise manner, and yet makes the impact it is aiming for. “It is a popular style of modern poetry and is used widely on social media platforms as it can be easily shared and consumed in a single post,” says Dixit. She recommends following the works of Bushara Lokhandwala. “Bushara is known for her imaginative way of expressing herself. The depth of emotions conveyed in her work is intriguing.”
Make a point
Persuasive style of poetry uses rhetorical devices, and techniques such as repetition, metaphor, and imagery to create a compelling argument that ensures that by the end of the verse, your listener is convinced of your opinion. “The poet may use emotional appeals, persuasive language, logic or a tone to create a sense of importance around the issue. Overall, persuasive poetry is a great tool used to address a wide range of social, political, and cultural issues,” elaborates Dixit. She recommends the works of Ashana Mishra as her words are adept at triggering and challenging the negativity prevailing in society.
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