By Louise Elisabeth Glück
Nobel Prize winner Louise Elisabeth Glück was praised in these words: “her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”.
Emotional intensity is the dominant feature of Gluck’s poetry. Helen Vendler, the famous critic, wrote: “Louise Glück is a poet of strong and haunting presence. Her poems, published in a series of memorable books over the last twenty years, have achieved the unusual distinction of being neither ‘confessional’ nor ‘intellectual’ in the usual senses of those words.”
I’ve selected here three poems to endorse the statement by the judges. …
Short Story
Whistle of the train lingered long enough to disturb the calm in the city. After being away for so many years, I felt like a stranger returning to my hometown. It was an early morning in January. I wrapped a scarf around my neck, headed out of the station and walked towards my home. In my childhood the city awoke by the dawn chorus of the singing sparrows and squawking of crows, but now buses and rickshaws hushed the sounds of nature. The early morning light drowned out the dim lights from the street lamps. …
My Writing Journey
My literary life is like a wild tree that grows in the desert and depends on the rain. It has to face the heat of the sunlight and the harsh winds. If it grows up, it remains untrimmed and unappreciated. But if it survives, its fragrance spreads in the desert, and its shadow saves the life of the traveler. I survived, in spite of all the bitter ‘weathers’ and ‘storms’, and continued my journey.
Short Story
“Deleir Khan has bought a new mare and a Bengali woman.” This news murmured through the square where villagers gathered to wag their tongues. People jostled and bustled, busier than on the holiest of holidays. Gossip was the only entertainment in my remote village. The favorite subjects were horses, dogs, and women. The latest juicy topic stirred their bored souls to life.
On my way home from school, I heard them chortling. Men spoke at the public places, and women addressed passersby from the doorways.
“Have you seen her? …
Short Story
In my home I have three windows, each named according to the time of day when they illuminate my life: Sunrise, Sunset and Twilight. Sunset spreads transparency over most of the wall, filling the room with an endless palette of colors, until the sun dips below the edge of my world, gone for another day. When the light of Sunset fades to dusk, I close the shades and turn away, unable to face it for another moment. When I turn to the smaller Twilight, I see a more subtle opening above; stars and the moon fill my world. I peer…
A Novel by Anthony Doerr
We read lot of books but there are few we relish. This is the book to relish and you will not want it to be finished. The writer has good command of imagery. It will also give you an insight about others’ love and feelings.
The Novel is set in World War 2. Europe, especially France and Germany are the main stage. The main character is a young girl, Marie Laure, who lost her eyesight at a very young age. Her father, Daniel Leblanc, is a locksmith and makes models of the city, Paris, so that his blind daughter can…
By Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008)
The theme of motherhood is often explored in literature. As human beings, motherhood is our central and emotional concept. Countless poems and stories have been written to express motherhood. Recently one priest, Father John Micheal, who died for 48 minutes, claimed that he met God. According to him, God is female and looks like mother.
Mother appears in literature as selfless, tender, and spiritual character. Mother, indeed, is the symbol of love and heaven, and we all yearn for this relationship. Today I’ve selected a beautiful poem “To My Mother” by Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008).He was Palestinian author and poet who…
By Maxim Gorky
Today is the birthday of Maxim Gorkey, and I thought to highlight his novel “Mother” to present him a tribute.
‘Mother’ has an important role in the Russian literature. It was, in fact, a turning point in the history of the Russian literature. Vladimir Lenin, the greatest political thinker and leader, said, “It is a book of the utmost importance; many workers, who have joined the revolutionary movement impulsively, without properly understanding why, will begin to comprehend after reading Mother.”
See how beautifully he challenged the thuggish authority: “Churches in the towns were filled with silver and gold for which…
By Nirvana( Written by: Kurt Cobain)
This popular song written by Kurt Cobain hummed me after so many years, and I thought to share it with you. The lyrics are so simple that many people interpret or misinterpret it according to their own perspectives. The interpreters even declared Kurt as a shallow man. I think people only followed the feel of the song, not the symbolic meanings. Look at these lines, for instance:
“Married, buried”
“All in all is all we all are”
“In the sun I feel as one”
Words are so simple, but a few could…
Novel by Milan Kundera
This novel offers food for thought on the identity. We live with two faces, one for our private life and other for social life. Much is talked about our dual identities. In a love relationship, you must know the identity of your beloved. Once doubt is there, love becomes pain. Love crumbles in this novel and the lover starts fearing of his own identity. This novel is an honest, passionate, and amazing observation of love. In spite of our deep love, we are only able to know about the other person, only what he/she allows us to know. It will…
