Kathmandu, 23 Nov
Three poetry collections of poet Santosh Kumar Pokharel were reviewed by a panel of critics in a public programme organised in Kathmandu on Sunday. Of them, Sunyako Yatra ra Anaya Kavita is a fresh collection of Nepali poems launched in the aforementioned event, while the other two, Pahad Aur Samandar Aur Anya Kavitayen, a collection of Hindi poems, and The War and Other Poems, a collection of English poems had entered the market sometimes later. Sunyako Yatra was launched by Member Secretary of Nepal Academy Dhan Prasad Subedi, critic and educator Professor Sanjita Verma, writer and critic Bhagawat Acharya, and writer and literary activist Radheshyam Lekali and incumbent INLS Asia Vice President and writer Sarita Aryal in the same event held at Hotel Green Leaf, Putalisadak.
Reviewing Sunayko Yatra, critic Ambika Aryal praised poet Pokharel for his flair for structural innovations and thematic eclecticism. She highlighted war, peace, spirituality and love as Pokharel’s most cherished themes and commended him for his passion for poetry. However, she suggested the poet to include exclusively Nepali issues, and to avoid repetitions. Another critic Dilliram Sharma Sangroula shed light of Pokharels’ Hindi poems collected in Pahar Aur Samandar. He cited the influence of experimental Hindi poet Agyeya in the poet’s verses and praised him for his unique metaphors. Poet and critic Keshab Sigdel reviewed The War and Other Poems and lauded the poet for making poetry his passion. He argued that limiting oneself to a locale makes a poet parochial; instead, a poet should have a global vision, and poet Pokharel is on the right trajectory. He, however, suggested poet Pokharel to make his local poetic base stronger before foraying to international poetic fraternity.
Addressing the gathering, poet Pokharel said he shall continue to make poetry a subject of his dedication and do his best to take Nepali voice to the international arena. He also informed the audience about his poetic vision, stylistic invention and thematic choices.
Poets Krishna Prasai, Radheshyam Lekali, Bhagawati Basnet, Gaurav Ojha and Mahesh Paudyal recited some poems from the aforementioned collections.
