3 Review(s)

Papers on Indian Writing in English is in two volumes—first volume deals with poetry while the second volume is on fiction. This is the first volume of the book consisting of twenty papers, dealing exclusively with Indian Poetry in English right from the date of its origin in the 1830s to the present day. The papers called herein are mostly author-based and text-based. Those which do not attempt a survey of a particular period or form concentrate on a certain author or text. One good point of text-based studies is that they bring out the strengths or weaknesses of a particular text in a notable manner. The present volume focuses on such illustrious poets of India as Amu Dun (who has written very little but lasting verses), Toru Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir Aurobindo, Sarojini Naidu—all representing the older generation; Nissim Ezekiel, A.K. Ramanujan, R. Parthasarathy, Kamala Das, Monika Varma, Margaret Chatterjee, Syed Amanuddin, K.N. Daruwalla, Shiv K. Kumar, Arun Kolatkar, and Suniti Namjoshi (a lesser known figure)—all symbolising the hopes and aspirations of modern India. There is also a chapter on-Irony as Technique in Some 'New' Indo-English Poets". An Index has been provided at the end of the volume to guide readers through it. Most of the papers included in this volume have already appeared in different magazines, periodicals and books, but putting them together here in book form enhances their accessibility and demonstrates a sense of commitment on the part of the author to the cause of fast-expanding Indian Writing in English. Nowadays, Indian Writing in English has acquired a certain respectability and popularity both in India and abroad, and hence scholars and researchers in this area will find this book quite useful and rewarding.