Verses live on...

Mona

Yun Hee Besabab Na Phira Karo, Koi Shaam Ghar Bhi Raha. Karo/ Koi Haath Bhi Na Milaayega Jo Gale Miloge Tapaak Se/ Ye Naye Mizaaj Ka Shehar Hai/ Zara Faasle Se Mila Karo… Bashir Badr’s words never rang true than in times like this. Universal, timeless that’s poetry and just like anything else, it’s also under a change, although here to stay.

Lyricist, poet Devender Kafir insists, “Youth is as interested in poetry just as much as its form has changed.” More of khuli poetry — free verse and sharing over the social media over mushairas is how youth is celebrating this form of writing. Kafir, who was once a regular at mushairas, can’t leave Mumbai any longer due to work, but finds it heartening to see poetry clubs and associations mushrooming not in metros but small towns as well. “Jashn-e-Rekhta, the three-day festival of Urdu poetry in Delhi, which has established names as well as special section for youngsters, is a testament that poetry is as relevant as ever.”

Medium has changed

Amy Singh, who runs a street poetry initiative called Cross Connection Poetry in Chandigarh, affirms, “I guess in the past decade youth’s interest in poetry has revived though the medium has changed more from page to stage.” Writing in English, Hindustani and Punjabi, Amy’s Cross Connection Poetry is an effort to bring poetry to public spaces and everyday life of city people. “It’s been running for almost three years now. We are a growing community of more than 150 people,” she shares.

Heartening trend

“One of the greatest triumphs of Jashn-e-Rekhta is that it broke the misconception that poetry, especially in Urdu, belongs to old folks,” says Aparna Pande, core member of the team Jashn-e-Rekhta. The festival that celebrates Urdu literature and art forms started in 2015 with 15,000 attendees in Delhi. As many as three lakh visitors, spread over three days, enjoyed poets old and new in its sixth year in 2019. “What’s heartening to know is that 70 per cent of the footfall is between the age group of 17-35 years,” shares Aparna.

If Delhi boasts of Jashn-e-Rekhta, poetry performances, open mikes at cafes to posting on Instagram seems to keep the young poets occupied through the country. Twenty-year-old Manroop Kaur started posting her verses on Instagram a few years back and is happy to connect with the like-minded in tricity. “I usually perform at The Finch in Sector 26; every single month there is one event or two where budding poets come together to share their new work in Chandigarh,” says this student of B Sc Nursing.

Anmol Sandhu, 22, is huge fan of Shakespeare, Charles Bukowski, Wordsworth and Gulzar, he too shares his poetry on Instagram. “It was in class ninth that I got interested in poetry seeing my classmates write; I have been writing poems ever since.”

Rupi Kaur won instant acclaim sharing her visual poetry on Instagram and Tumblr. Her first poetry collection Milk and Honey sold millions of copies. Robert M. Drake is another young sensation winning the hearts of poetry-lovers across the board. “There are many young poets I follow on social media, but nothing beats classics; hopefully, poets of today shall reserve berth with readers of tomorrow,” says Anmol.

Interest in poetry is not going to fade, believes Punjabi poet Gurpreet Waraich. “With so many options vying for youngsters’ attention, the idea is for poets to reach out in a manner that works best for them,” says Gurpreet, whose poetry series Dil Ki Dastak streamed on Rolling Frames Entertainment and garnered much attention.

Devyani Singh, who has been writing poetry ever since her class fourth poetry workshop, says poetry can be used as an effective tool to purge the feeling of despondency spawned by coronavirus, “There are these memes being forwarded like ‘When Shakespeare was quarantined because of the plague, he wrote King Lear’. Light heartedness of these jokes aside, be it the tough times or happy, poetry is going to win its admirers nonetheless!”

Kafir borrows words of Sahir Ludhianvi to express the same thought, “Kal aur aayege nagamo ki khilati kaliya chunne wale/ Mujhse behatar kahne wale tumse behatar sunne wale… Mai pal do pal ka shayar hu pal do pal meri kahani hai…”