BENGALURU : After a brief lull during the first few years of the century, poetry has been gaining traction like never before, especially in the later part of its second decade. Across the globe, poetry has become a major driving force behind movements, social media, marketing campaigns and cultural podiums. It is an effective medium to build a more compassionate, egalitarian world.
Hence, it was a delight to see so many entries to the Express Poetry Contest 2020, organised by Bengaluru City Express. We congratulate all of you for taking part in the contest.There is a story behind every poem. Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African American to win a Pulitzer, wrote her famed poem We are Cool after coming across a bunch of young students during school hours. W E Henley’s illustrious poem Invictus, very dear to Nelson Mandela, was written as a response to the poet’s lifelong struggle with tuberculosis and his refusal to give up.
While sifting through the entries for the contest, we could see that most of them were influenced by current happenings, rightly so. Poets have, for hundreds of years, documented their times. Many of these budding poets also leaned towards autobiographical themes, which is typical. As poets living in a metro, they have portrayed various interesting events happening around them. Urban sensibility in these poems makes for an interesting topic of discussion.
While shortlisting, we kept several features in mind that make poetry enjoyable and effective. We looked for brevity, theme, lyrical quality, lucidity, and the poem’s ability to draw the reader. We encountered several poems that held a lot of promise – among these several stanzas that can do a lot more, if these poets pursue the literary pathway, hopefully.