I first read ‘Ozymandias’ by Shelley back in school. I was no more than fourteen. What did I know of pride and political power except for that which appeared in glazed history books! With my limited understanding of vanity, I still found the poem discerning. As a little backstory, we were told that the genesis of the sonnet was a discussion between Percy Bysshe Shelley (the poet) and his friend Horace Smith about the annihilation of the once great empire of Egypt.
On Being Idle
Laughter is a rarity nowadays. Taking offence, I’m afraid, practiced to perfection. I remember how stories in our text books were sprinkled with the absurd, sometimes satirical humour to expose human naivety. The truth of the matter is that humour is indeed an ingenious way to make us think, question and introspect. Consider ‘On a …
जीवन में एक सितारा था…
1990 में एक बहुचर्चित फ़िल्म आयी थी। नाम था 'अग्निपथ' । मैं उस समय मात्र दस साल की थी। सिनेमा घर हम जाते नही थे और दूरदर्शन के सिवा हम कुछ देखते नही थे। इसलिए फ़िल्म कब बड़े पर्दे पे आयी, कब चली गयी, इस बात का न कोई आभास हुआ और न ही जानने …
A Mother’s Goodbye (IWSG August 4)
Search for identity, love, longing and responsibility form a maze through which they must find their way out. Societal problems and social taboos are intricately woven into the story pattern, posing so many relevant questions which the Indian society must wake up to now!
A Doll’s House
Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian poet and playwright (1828-1906). His writing was realistic and modern. ‘A Doll’s House’ (original ‘Et dukkehjem’) which was published in 1879, beautifully showcases the subtle truth of seemingly happy households. The story of Nora Helmer begins in a perfectly normal home with a loving husband. A princess to her father, Nora has everything a woman would want. As the play progresses, the chinks begin to appear and as they say, what is essential is often invisible to the naked eye.
Finger Paints and Crayons
Free image from Pixabay. Thank you to the creator TanteTati. What comes naturally to you, when you think of writing? It is definitely poetry in my case. Even as I plot for my first attempt at NaNoWriMo this year, I find myself doing more poetry and less character development. I like to begin my day …
A Hundred Quills 