{"id":8157,"date":"2022-01-12T04:42:12","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T04:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mytwostotinki.com\/?p=8157"},"modified":"2022-01-12T04:46:58","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T04:46:58","slug":"monsoon-letters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytwostotinki.com\/?p=8157","title":{"rendered":"Monsoon Letters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My last blog post dealt with the anthology Contemporary Bangladeshi Poetry<\/em>, an extensive selection from the work of Bengali poets from Bangladesh over the last few decades. Today I would like to refer to another poetry anthology from Bangladesh, in which the focus of the selection is set differently.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsoon Letters – Collection of Poems<\/em> is a small selection of poems written in English, mostly by younger authors. The brochure contains one poem each by 36 authors and is therefore much less extensive than the selection I discussed earlier. However, here too the spectrum of voices and topics is diverse, and the approach to poetry by most authors is noticeably different from those contributing to Contemporary Bangladeshi Poetry<\/em>. One can agree with the literary critic Fakrul Alam, who rightly points out the somewhat uneven quality of the poems, but also emphasizes that<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201ethe anthology shows that most of these poets appear as if striving to be distinctive, and with the dare of youth, attempting to strike out in new directions. A handful of the poems suggest to me that new poetic voices are emerging, and we would soon be welcoming these Bangladeshi writings in English.\u201d  <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

An example from the collection:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Unnoticed Kite\n\nby Kohinur Khyum Tithila\n\nThat day,\nThe sky was bright and blue,\nThe meadow was full of happy children.\nThey gathered to fly kites<\/strong>\nBlue, red, green, pink\nColorful the kites were!\nHappy, free children\nAnd their kites. \nThe sky was bright and azure.\nBut I saw what one kite saw \nTo her,\nThe sky seemed gray forever.\nThen came the twilight.\nThe unbridled playtime was over.\nThey went back to home.\nThey and their kites.\nBut I saw one kite, <\/strong>\nShe tore up the string\nBut not to fall down, \nHer heart got wings.\nShe flew, \nHigher, higher and higher.\nThen I saw what the kite saw.\nThe sky was bright, blue and free.<\/strong>\n\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
I am looking forward to reading more Bangladeshi poetry in the future. Stay tuned!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Monsson Letters, eds. WRITE Foundation\/The University Press Limited, Dhaka 2014<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a9 Kohinur Khyum Tithila, Fakrul Alam, monsoonletters.com, WRITE Foundation and The University Press Limited, 2014<\/strong> \n\u00a9<\/strong> Thomas H\u00fcbner and Mytwostotinki, 2014-22. Unauthorized use and\/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog\u2019s author and\/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas H\u00fcbner and Mytwostotinki with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. <\/strong> <\/pre>\n
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