This poetry collection “ A Time to Forget ‘ by Rajiv Khandelwal has been published by The Poetry Society of India with a captivatingly designed cover page .The craftsman of the Philosophical poetry collection is from Agra , India. He’s obtained Electrical Engineering degree from BITS , Mesra, Ranchi .He has a deep literary inclination. Within the realm of Indian English Poetry’s Postmodern domain , he has established himself prominently. His unique approach, exploring fresh themes and liberating poetry from conventional norms, has captivated critics globally , resulting in national and international accolades .He has authored six collections of poetry that have garnered attention from venerated scholars who’ve contributed works of criticism on his works.
This poetry collection is on 141 pages with six seven poems crafted on varied themes. Shaleen Singh , a poet , editor and critic , Asst.Professor , HOD of English , S.S. PG College, Shahjahanpur, U.P , in his foreword written for this collection, writes that this poetry collection is outpouring of love and its allied themes .The poems in this slender poetic volume are soaked in variegated hues of universal phenomenon of love. Any reader can witness the polychromatic images tinged with symbols , metaphors, similes etc .Stephen Gill , Dr. Poet laureate of Ansted University, novelist and literary critic from Canada, writes that the poems in this anthology confirm that the language of love is understood everywhere and that love’s vocabulary is not foreign and the love language of love is spoken often without words .
Muideen Lanre Dauda , from Nigeria, co-founder of literati , writes that it’s an aesthetic anthology that reblooms gloomy and withered hearts like resurrection of dead lilies beside the river.
Being not a critic but a poet and reviewer, after analysing the poetry collection I found that all the poems in it have been crafted skillfully and proficiently using appropriate but simple poetic diction with profound meaning on varied themes like love and pains .The language used is mostly symbolic and metaphorical languages with varied imagery. The book will absolutely prove fruitful to the literature students especially poetry lovers ( readers as well as writers ) .It will definitely broaden their vision, imagination and will also aid them to learn writing poetry in a new style created and followed by the author, Khandelwal.
Now I briefly throw light on some of the beautifully crafted poems of this great Philosophical poet
One beautifully crafted poem is ‘ BEAUTY IN ORDINARY THINGS “ .It , according to my level of comprehension is a worth reading poem as the poet ,with knack compares the gorgeousness of his beloved with the commonly seen and experienced beautiful things like he calls her a 5 scoop ice cream cone , praises her every act and adds more beauty to her beautiful organs using beautiful words. He calls her hypotia of Alexandera , cool like sword cut water and a princess from palace of perfection .This is an emotional poem for true lovers .
One more poem in this collection is ‘ ABSENCE ‘ It describes the activity as how the poet remembers her beloved and the places they expected to visit together. This is really a heart touching poem.
One more poem “ EMPATHY “ is a saddening poem that gives the description of pain experienced by the poet while perceiving another’s pain .This poems reflects the poet’s feeling of being pity for another’s hardship.
Another poem in the book is ‘ WHEN YOU ARE NOT WITH ME ‘ This poem reveals up the deep love of the poet for his beloved .The intensity of love is so high that the poet’s mental condition worsens if even her thoughts are not with her . This is quite interesting poem to learn to what the true love leads the one if it’s not procured.
“ ENDLESS NIGHTS “ is another poem in which the poet beautifully presents the pains he experienced during nights in the absence of his beloved or while remembering her .Her memories didn’t let me him seeping, the nights seemed to him unending as remaining awake .
Another poem in this collection is “ WILL YOU OR NOT “ an interesting poem to go through as it describes the poet’s when one he happened to read the name of his beloved on the mobile screen.
Another beautifully crafted poem is “ THE GOOD OLD DAYS “ This poem is beautiful in its description as it gives a nice feeling especially to the empathetic readers as it describes the gone time that the poet used to spend with his beloved together happily.They used to meet more often and any time in a day they wished .Alas! Such a time won’t come back for them .
I being a reviewer not a critic I analysed some of the poems from this collection, according to my own comprehension level .The poems must be more pleasant or painful to read than I described or explicated. But I suggest all the literature students that they should once read this poetry collection as it will serve them a food for their healthy growth in the field of literature especially poetry. And I pray to God for more power to the poet’s and for more passion and success to write for the healthy growth of Indian English literature all over the world .
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Shafkat Aziz Hajam is a poet, reviewer and co author from Kupwara Handwara. He can be reached at shafkataziz399@gmail.com
