Acclaimed poet Arundhathi Subramaniam, a Sahitya Akademi Award recipient, recently shared her thoughts on the transformative power of poetry, its political depth, and the evolving role of spirituality in her work during her visit to Chandigarh and the Kasauli Literary Festival. Known for her profound insights, Subramaniam explored the shifting perceptions of poetry and its significance as a form of self-expression, especially in the context of modern-day challenges. Reflecting on the universal appeal of poetry, Subramaniam believes there is a time in everyone’s life, particularly during their teens, when they first fall in love with the musicality of words—the rhyme and rhythm that captivate the senses.
Over time, however, the deeper power of poetry reveals itself as a mode of self-expression, and even later, as a form of resistance to the conventional or “ready-made” language. The poet explains that “ready-made language” refers to the accepted truths that people often take as gospel, shaped by cultural, religious, or political constructs. Poetry, for Subramaniam, becomes a rebellion against these rigid frameworks, offering an alternative, more personal way of engaging with the world.
At the Kasauli Literary Festival, she spoke about the nature of political poetry, emphasizing that being political doesn’t necessarily mean shouting or being strident. “Poetry can be deeply political, but it doesn’t need to be loud or forceful,” she remarked. Instead, true po.