Srilata K.

Q:  To quote poet and publisher P. Lal from his questionnaire sent in the 1960s to an earlier generation of Indian English poets: “What are the circumstances that led to your using the English language for the purpose of writing poetry?” And of course, is such a question relevant to today’s poets, several decades after Lal’s query?

Srilata K.: Like most Indians, I grew up in a multi-lingual environment. My schooling, however, was largely in English and the poetry and fiction I read were mostly in English. Quite soon, it became the language I thought in – though I did revert to thinking in Tamil every now and then, depending on the circumstances. I was never self-conscious about that switch. So even now, while I write in English, that English is imbued with Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and a sprinkling of other Indian languages. I don’t think that question has the urgency it had in the 60s. Languages choose us depending on the paths that nation states forge for themselves. The important thing is to learn to use the language that has chosen us as well as we can in the writing of poetry.

Q: In addition to poets from the Anglo-American canon, has your poetry been influenced by Indian English poets of an earlier generation (whether the 19th century pioneers like Derozio and Toru Dutt, or early 20th century poets like Tagore and Sarojini Naidu, or those from the post-1947 generation like Nissim Ezekiel, Kamala Das, and A.K. Ramanujan)? Do you consider your poetry a part of this two-hundred-year-old tradition?

S.K.: I have been hugely influenced by AK Ramanujan’s translations of Sangam poetry. I tend to fall back on that register unconsciously – especially these dates in my own re-imagining of the Mahabharatha. Kamala Das too shaped me as a woman poet. I don’t think my poetry exists outside of this long tradition. I may or may not be conscious of where I am located vis a vis the tradition but that’s another question.

Q: What are your views on a readership/audience for Indian poetry in English? Does such a thing exist outside English classrooms and literary circles? How much of a consideration is the readership in your poetic process?

S.K.: I don’t think of readership at all when I write. I think that anxiety could get in the way of composition. That said, I find that there is a lot of interest in younger people. In Chennai, for instance, there is an active slam poetry presence and so many young people write poetry. Poetry often thrives outside of English classrooms I think!

Q: Do you read, write, or translate poetry in a language other than English? If yes, how does it influence your poetry in English?

S.K.: I translate Tamil poetry into English. And as I said earlier, I think the tonality of Tamil and sometimes words, seep into my own poetry even though it is in English. I have actually written about this in my poems.

Q: Have you ever taught poetry in a class, at a workshop, or in an informal setting? If yes, which aspects of poetry do you think can be taught?

S.K.: For close to two decades I taught a workshop course in Creative writing at IIT Madras. I continue to teach it Sai University, Chennai. A large part of the course consists of poetry. At first, students assume that they won’t get poetry. But I find they grow into it. Trying to write poetry I think helps them understand it better. As a teacher, I refrain from over-explaining the poem, letting the words take over.

Q: What are your views on the poetry that appears today on such popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram?

S.K.: Let me just say I follow it all with great interest!

A poet, an author, a columnist, a translator, a writer-in-residence at the University of Stirling, at Sangam house and at the Yeonhui Art Space in Seoul, Professor K. Srilata currently teaches English literature at Sai University and formerly at IIT-Madras. Her recent book is This Kind of Child: The ‘Disability’ Story (2022).

Header Image Courtesy: Srilata K.