Late Blooming Cherries - Haiku Poetry from India
Review of the book - Late Blooming Cherries - Haiku Poetry from India
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Delicately
weaving through life’s tapestry of love and loneliness, joy and grief, the
verses in this long-awaited collection brilliantly showcase the exquisiteness
of the haiku and senryu, allowing readers to embrace the beauty of each poetic
moment. Exploring ‘the pragmatic and the metaphysical with humour, heartbreak,
profound insight and a serious appreciation of language chosen for its
precision and suggestiveness’, the verses traverse the whole gamut of human
experience.
Compiled and
edited by accomplished haiku writers Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Rimi
Nath, Late-blooming Cherries features contributions from some of the
most prominent haiku artists in India. True, in essence, to the meaning of
‘haiku’, or ‘pleasure verse’, and much like the late-blooming cherries of
Shillong, this book—which invites readers to reflect on life, nature and human
bonds—must be savoured slowly to ‘release the full flavour’ of the feast in it.
Book #53 of 2024
Nonfiction #30
The cover
and title alone were enough to entice me to pick up this book, a collection of
haiku and senryu, traditional Japanese poetic forms. The introduction offers a
glimpse into the connection between the title and the contents, while A Note on
the Haiku provides a clear explanation of the various aspects of this poetic
form, making it a valuable resource for those new to haiku.
These Haiku
and Senryu, crafted by poets from all over India, encompass a diverse range of
themes.
Within the
pages of this anthology, a kaleidoscope of human experiences and emotions
unfolds, each delicately captured in the concise beauty of haiku and senryu.
Whether you're seeking a quiet moment of
reflection or a quick burst of inspiration, this book welcomes you to savor its
delightful poems at any turn.
Each poem gives
us a glimpse of the author before unveiling the haiku or senryu itself,
inviting a deeper connection with the verse.
From the intricacies
of nature to the profound depths of human feeling, this anthology encompasses a
remarkable breadth of themes.
As a
newcomer to this form of poetry myself, I found myself captivated by the charm
of this collection, and it has ignited a desire to delve deeper into the haiku
and senryu genres.
If you have an affinity for poetry, cherish the beauty of haiku, or simply yearn to explore this captivating style, I wholeheartedly recommend picking up this book and immersing yourself in its exquisite verses.
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih writes poems, short fiction and drama in Khasi and English. He has a total of thirteen publications in Khasi. His collections of poetry in English include Moments, The Sieve and The Yearning of Seeds (HarperCollins). He is the author of Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends.
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Until the next post...
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