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Forest I Know
Tanka, a 1300-year-old, five-line lyrical form of poetry from Japan, was originally called 'waka', which translates as 'short song'. The Forest I Know, Kala Ramesh's first book in this genre, consists mainly of tanka, tanka prose and tanka doha. With stunningly bold and beautiful poems encompassing every facet of our day-to-day living, this book is at once ancient and modern, enduring and unforgettable - and is sure to resonate with the reader.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2021
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August 23, 2021
“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart”. The line as stated here is fairly reflective of the overall context of the book at hand which to a fair extent dwells upon the contours of empathetic behavior and when an inseparable element of Japanese Culture is added into the equation, then the book at hand materializes.
Delving further, the length of the book is 164 pages and consists of 6 chapters in totality, the book begins with the style of Tanka and further is complemented by Tanka Doha, Tanka Prose and it must be noted that the same translates as “Short Song” and the first one titled “Garbha” sets the tone of the book as the same comes as a tanka sutra and it holds relevance for it reflects the facets of life as the line “Slipping into my Consciousness the shape of things will I be able to recall the storyline in each”. The next tanka sutra titled “Ah Woman” reflects upon the life of a woman and the same questions the presence of newness which time brings but the reality obscures the same as can be surmised from the line “Then what was that river that passed by you yesterday in which I am standing now”. The first chapter titled “Maya” represents the mystique that surrounds the truth and at the same instance, exploration and discovery also form a part of it. As the chapters progress further, the book is made replete with prose and poetry which have been perfectly written as they tend to reflect the realities of our existence as the same is presented in a manner that piques us. The writing style has been kept lucid and to the point, however, in certain instances, the meaning goes beyond the usual surmises as they warrant a sense of deeper understanding and introspection within ourselves. The combined effect of all this makes this book a must-read for anyone willing to go for a good poetic read.
Delving further, the length of the book is 164 pages and consists of 6 chapters in totality, the book begins with the style of Tanka and further is complemented by Tanka Doha, Tanka Prose and it must be noted that the same translates as “Short Song” and the first one titled “Garbha” sets the tone of the book as the same comes as a tanka sutra and it holds relevance for it reflects the facets of life as the line “Slipping into my Consciousness the shape of things will I be able to recall the storyline in each”. The next tanka sutra titled “Ah Woman” reflects upon the life of a woman and the same questions the presence of newness which time brings but the reality obscures the same as can be surmised from the line “Then what was that river that passed by you yesterday in which I am standing now”. The first chapter titled “Maya” represents the mystique that surrounds the truth and at the same instance, exploration and discovery also form a part of it. As the chapters progress further, the book is made replete with prose and poetry which have been perfectly written as they tend to reflect the realities of our existence as the same is presented in a manner that piques us. The writing style has been kept lucid and to the point, however, in certain instances, the meaning goes beyond the usual surmises as they warrant a sense of deeper understanding and introspection within ourselves. The combined effect of all this makes this book a must-read for anyone willing to go for a good poetic read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review