The Fourth Monkey: Poetry With A Purpose

by Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee

Visions of dawn...painted through words. A woman's helplessness revealed through poetic meter... Ideas, frustrations, and contemplations come to life through rhyme and rhythmic cadence. These poems are written to draw readers into thinking and reacting. The emphasis is more on the meanings of the words, than the words themselves. Here is an excerpt of one of the poems: Those eyes, once alive and joyful, Now look so vacant. That face, once so beautiful, Is now wrinkled and decadent. There are more faces like this, With eyes that long for affection. Their only fault lies in this, That old age is their affliction. Do not forget their contribution, Do not forget their kind-heartedness, Do not engage in retribution, Against those who once gave you happiness... The title of this book, The Fourth Monkey, is also the title of one of Lakshmy's poems in this collection, and more or less encompasses the underlying theme of this book. Every poem in this collection has a purpose, whether it is to speak up against archaic beliefs or unjust practices, contemplate on the complications of relationships or life, or simply appreciate nature's bounty and the other good things life has to offer.

Genres: Poetry

162 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2014

About the author

Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee is a well-traveled poetess and an artist, who experienced an epiphany in January 2014, which prompted her to resume writing and painting after a hiatus of nine years. She likes to write poetry that is founded in realism or pseudo-realism, and calls it 'poetry with a purpose.' Her childhood was spent in Africa, specifically, Liberia and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo). Although she has a full-time job, she uses her free time to write poems, stories, and create art. In April 2016, she was adjudged the third place in a pan-India short story writing contest hosted by the Times Internet Limited group. Although she is originally from Kerala, she currently lives in Chennai with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Sheetal Savio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth monkey is truly a poetry with purpose...it gives a great insight into human psyche and deals with various facets of human emotions...written in a language which can be easily related it is a must read for anyone who is even remotely interested in poetry and a good introduction for those who wish to start exploring poetry....hats off to the author and looking forward to her next edition.

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked most about the Lakshmy’s poetry, was the fact that she uses it as an instrument to share more about her culture, to raise awareness to many of the violations to women’s rights in India, and now that people seem to be starting to discuss the lack of representation in literature, both because of the reduced number of female writers compared to male writers, and also the lack of translated works in countries like the US or the UK, more books like this one are surely needed.
Another positive aspect that I particularly enjoyed was the fact that there are several photos and illustrations both from the author as well. It just shows how the author is versatile and that literature and poetry aren’t the only artistic ways she uses to express herself.
However, what really disappointed me was the fact that I couldn’t feel a real connection with her poetry. There isn’t a poem in particular that I can say that touched me so much that I remembered it for longer, or wasn’t able to feel like I was seeing what the author was trying to portray, also because it’s a reality so distant from mine. Also, I think that one can see that the author isn’t an experienced poet, and her poetry is still, how shall I phrase it?, a bit green, if you know what I mean. I think that the author is still trying to find her signature style, a voice the when heard cannot be mistaken by anyone else’s, but that comes with time and practice, and I’m sure that Lakshmy’s will keep on writing and using poetry to express her feelings and thoughts on the world, and I really hope that her future poems will be brought to a wider audience by being published in English and even other languages, who knows?

I received a complimentary autographed copy of the book through GoodReads First Reads.

[JJ Coetzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I won this book off Goodreads here.
Okay so lets start, I quite enjoy my poetry, and not just the classics but also the modern, I do believe they have something yet to add to our literature.
The Fourth Monkey: Poetry with a Purpose is one of those few exceptions that adds something to the literary world.
We all live in our own quite ignorance, believing that things in our own personal bubble world are bad, or getting bad, we see a few things on the news, but we never stop to think from the perspective of the people in their bubble.
The Fourth Monkey: Poetry with a Purpose gives us that opportunity, Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee gives us a view in her world, what it is like to be a woman in India, how religion can sometimes be twisted in the wrong direction
The book is very enjoyable, well scripted. It is worth the short read and worth the pondering implications that follows.

[Rakhee Prabhudesai · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just one complaint to be made about The Fourth Monkey: it is far too short. I would have just loved this book to go on and on. I was very impressed with the word choices and deep reflections of Lakshmy Menon Chatterjee. I thought she was reverent, curious, and in awe of life in all of its forms. I loved the simplicity of her poems even though I know they were probably not so simple to write. Some of the poems spoke to me personally and invariably I have found myself reading them over and over again. I just spent a lovely afternoon savoring this book and I'm buying more copies for friends.

[Karima Dewji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this book of poems. I tend to pick it up in between the other books I'm reading and it serves as a mind refresher. I am able to get lost into the author's words and thoughts.... They are relatable. I find myself connecting with each poem this far. Great work!

[Milka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the poems really make you wonder about the world. Especially the poems about women who are abused and violated in the name of tradition... On the other hand this book reminds you about the good things in life, how we can find joy even in rain.