Exploring the Devices of Poetry

A book consisting of a writer’s interviews and views, primarily a poet, is the kind of work that literature enthusiasts love to read. The intrinsic details of writing, beginning from the method to specific practices, and habits can only be explored and learned when hearing or reading a professional’s words. Sudeep Sen: Selected Conversations and Interviews is a collection of interviews that attempt to present to the reader a precise understanding of the poet’s world.

Sudeep Sen needs no introduction—one of India’s renowned and prominent voices, he boldly states that he has three mother tongues—English, Bengali, and Hindi, taking a clear stand in the debate regarding the consideration of English as an Indian language. In his interviews, spanning across several pages, Sen speaks of life, work, interests, poetry, and methods.

A reader who is used to reading the interviews of prominent literary personalities will know that very rarely does an artist speak of the method behind his art—very infrequently, he reveals more than little anecdotes of his working style. When reading this collection of interviews, the reader understands, quite early into the book, that Sudeep Sen does not hesitate to speak of his work, his style, and his method of working.

The interviews are not mere lifeless conversations about the petty issues of life and the ‘market’ of literature but filled with discussions between the interviewer and the interviewee, which focus on dissecting the works of Sudeep Sen from an analytic perspective. This ensures a delightful read for poetry enthusiasts, especially those deeply interested in the technique and methods of writing poetry.

Rhythm patterns are explored, along with the poetic devices that separate the good from the great. In responding to the interviewer’s lengthy questions, Sudeep Sen even reveals some of his poetic devices while analyzing his poems. He speaks of line breaks and the fine line of demarcation that exists between prose and poetry. Micro-fiction is what he calls it.

The exploration of life, through the lens of art forms that range from poetry to architecture, Sen motivates others to follow this process of investigation, not to limit themselves to specific art forms. Sen’s taste is rich, and he expects others to develop this taste because, without certain flavors, it would be impossible to express through art. When reading the interviews of Sudeep Sen, the reader is expected to be interested in the discussion of art forms—no compromise is accepted, resulting in a book that directs developing poets towards a world of possibilities, and this direction comes from one of the celebrated poets of India.