Tuesday, April 9, 2013

My first interview as a poetess


Shalini Samuel



Shah Fazli
Shalini Samuel, Welcome, we all waited for this day as everyone who has attended loves you and respects you as a caring and nice person and also as a poetess, and I am sure everyone agrees with me on that, we want to also know what difficulties and problems are you facing in life or you are expecting to face as a young and new poetess who has not been published yet, how soon you think you will be a published author and what are the challenges ahead? — with Shalini Samuel.








Shalini Samuel Hi Shah Fazli I dont expect much, just living the life as drawn by God. When I face obstacles, i try to turn it into a stepping stone for success. Regarding poems, I wish to get my poems published, but I dont want to self publish my poems. So waiting for a publisher who believes that my poems will win. I think within a year my poems will be published.



Swaminatha Sharma Great reply Shalini



Ramesh Anand Hello Shalini, I am very happy to be part of this interview. Please share those important milestones in your poetry journey.



Shalini Samuel Thankyou Swaminatha Sharma



Benzvi Singh Many writers start their career in poetry and progress into fiction. What is your logic behind this idea? Dear Shalini Samuel



Shalini Samuel I wasnt serious about poetry until you Ramesh Anand , commented on my blog, that was when everythng changed. You introduced me to Muse India and the next milestone was to see my poem printed in magazines and anthologies. I have reached it, but still a long way to go.



Mrinal Kanti Das Adhikari I like ur confidence and ur views on life



Shalini Samuel I have tried fiction Benzvi Singh. I love to write fiction and I know fiction has more readers than poetry, but it takes lot of time. Moreover to write a fiction more concentration and sincerity is needed. Currently it isnt possible for me.



Shalini Samuel Thankyou Mrinal Kanti Das Adhikari



Ramesh Anand Shalini, What are your favourite themes and forms in poetry?



Vikas Pratap Singh Shalini.. I've already been honored to be a part of your lit. e-mag. Fragrance. What's your vision regarding this project of yours?! Please describe your Fragrance journey so far!



Shalini Samuel God and nature are my favorite themes. Sometimes my poems become phillosophical. Now I am venturing into other themes too like wars, world peace, etc.



Ramesh Anand Who are your favourite poetry writers in India and Abroad?



Benzvi Singh My wishes at your best Shalini Samuel Were you called to be a writer?



Swaminatha Sharma Any plan to write poems on clear awakening of Mind ???



Mrinal Kanti Das Adhikari Shalini wht role does nature play in ur poetry?



Shalini Samuel Thankyou Vikas Pratap Singh. Fragrance is the brainchild ofWasim Akram Malla, he wanted to give opporunity for young poets. I support him as a editor. We expect, it will bring out more talents and sooner are later will transform into print magazine.



Shalini Samuel Ramesh Anand Rabindranath Tagore and Robert Frost



Vikas Pratap Singh Both of them are my fav. poets too Tagore & Frost



Shalini Samuel Thankyou Benzvi Singh



Shalini Samuel Swaminatha Sharma yes, i have written a poem about mind. And many of my wonderful poems had its source from meditation and dreams. I feel they are God send poems.



Ramesh Anand Shalini, What forms of poem you write and also like to develop skill in future?



Swaminatha Sharma return??? oh.. am sorry.. it should be written.. ok ok



Shalini Samuel Mrinal Kanti Das Adhikari I love rain a lot, and i live in a place which is green. The poems come easily from the things we see and feel daily na.



Shalini Samuel Ramesh Anand My favorite form is Sestina. Mostly i write free verses. I dont like to restrict thoughts in forms.



Benzvi Singh having PG in Computer related subject how did you choose to writing?



Vikas Pratap Singh Shalini... as you already mentioned that you do not want to self-publish your poems. What I couldn't get it clear is whether you have submitted your manuscript to some publishers/publishing-houses?! If yes, what has been their response till now? If no, may we know why not, ma'm?!



Swaminatha Sharma Shalini : what made you or induced you to venture in to this writing experiences ???



Shalini Samuel Benzvi Singh Good question I have written poems when i was in school. So being a poet from school, engineering studies didnt kill my poetic heart. But i am worried, the poems I wrote during my school days are lost.



Shalini Samuel Vikas Pratap Singh I have submitted to two publishers, and that too very recently. One was a foriegn publisher, they dont publish Indian poems and our Indian publisher has said he shall consider. And I am not in a hurry, by the time when my book comes out i would have improved more. And some publishers asked money for publishing it and i turned down those offers.



Vikas Pratap Singh You chose the right options



Benzvi Singh I've found that your grandfather has been your motivation to write through one of your write - ups. When and where do you write poems? Is it easy for you to write? and do you possess any formal pattern of poetry writing?



Ramesh Anand Shalini, Lot of female poets in India focus mainly on feminine freedom and rights, what is your thoughts on this and have you written any poem on women issues?



Shalini Samuel Swaminatha Sharma : Sir to be frank I wanted to prove myself to the people(relatives and friends) who thought I was a fool and was of no use. The problems I faced in life changed me into a poet. I usually keep my little worries in my heart, it was difficult for me to share, when i wrote poems i felt free and happy. So i couldnt giveup writing poems



Vikas Pratap Singh I have read a few of your poems and all of them scream out your poetic talent, but guess what, all were non-rhyming! Any particular enmity towards rhymes?! (fun question)



Shalini Samuel I write my life and the things I see, my joys and sorrows, so it speaks of womens issues too. And everyone has issues not only a women, and i am not a feminist. I dont like to talk one sided. I just put the image or thought into a poem and let the reader decide from it.



Vikas Pratap Singh "When i wrote poems i felt free and happy"
And that's how satisfying our life journey becomes while penning down our thoughts/feelings as poems on regular basis; and you don't even come to know that people have now come to call you a poet



Shalini Samuel Yes Vikas Pratap Singh there are few rhymed poems too, but i felt they are losing depth when they rhyme, i am trying to improve so i can bring depth as well as rhyme in a single poem.



Shalini Samuel Yeah, once i thought when life is disappointing i cant concentrate and write poems, but i learnt its wrong. In the beginning, i expressed my joy, amger everythng through my poems, now i am getting matured as a poet. Before writing I think does it do any good if it comes out as a poem. I have learnt Poetry isnt just pouring your emotions, you have a societal responsibility tooo...When readers admire i feel i should give the best



Ramesh Anand Shalini, name some contemporary poets in India who are unique and special in their works.



Wa See M @Shalini: my question is like this :

What is your thought about the rules governing the rhythm and meter of poems? How do you view these bindings?



Shalini Samuel difficult question Ramesh Anand The poets I admire includeRinzu Rajan i love the way she writes about womens issues and she writes a big depthful poem on a little issue, Sunil Sharmasimple and sweet and Sonnet Mondal i like your poems too there is a long list i guess



Shalini Samuel A poet should be rythmic so it binds the reader to the poem. Regarding meter of poem, yes certain forms have strict rules and it should be followed. As an engineering student I am learning metre and syllables now, till i am master of it , i have decided not to venture into such strict forms like sonnets and ghazals



Ramesh Anand Shalini, What is special about, India's best poet and a strong contender for Nobel Prize, Sonnet Mondal?



Shalini Samuel I havent found anything special, I can see other wonderful young poets from India too. India has good poets, but they dont have right guidance and opportunity to improve and exhibit their skills.But the name he have got, makes me to read his poems, just to know what he writes. His good vocabulary and good base are his strengths i guess, but not much sure about it, i am still reading his poems..



Ramesh Anand Shalini, Tell us something about your association with Shah Fazli



Shalini Samuel He liked my poems and wanted to interview me, was little scared in the beginning after asking questions to other poets around the world, i got courage. And I said to him my book isnt published yet, he encouraged me spread out my poems and so it will boost my confidence. After talking and knowing about me, he wanted me to work with Spotlight. Spotlight brings talents and voices to limelight, i was happy to join with him as i can help writers to share their thoughts, help them get good exposure and above all i can meet new friends around the world.



Shah Fazli What is your advice to other poets, what do you think they should do or shouldn't do, althoug you are in the stage of experiecing it yourself, what have you learnt from it so far?



Shalini Samuel Dont write for fame or money, let your poems be thought provoking and let it be records of present thoughts. A man reads your poem after years should feel the emotion that you have felt today. Write a poem that stands for years, it isnt going to die with you, so make it the best.



Shalini Samuel Thankyou all for your wonderful questions. Had a nice time with you.If you have more questions, just post below I will reply.



Vikas Pratap Singh Well, a lot more Thank You than yours for taking out your time and all true and beautiful replies



Shalini Samuel you are welcome vikas



Shalini Samuel I've found that your grandfather has been your motivation to write through one of your write - ups. When and where do you write poems? Is it easy for you to write? and do you possess any formal pattern of poetry writing? sorry Benzvi Singh missed your question,yes my maternal grandfather S.G .Samuel, has been one of the reason.He died when I was nine months old, he just blessed me I will be a writer one day, and asked my mother to teach me well and give me a good life.I never took it serious, but life pulled me into poetry, just the way he blessed me.He is an ardent reader and i wish he should have been with me today. If he was alive he would have found more flaws in my poems, just like my mother who is my best critic.



Shalini Samuel Benzvi Singh I write poems, when I am in front of my laptop Opening a word document, i just try to concentrate my thoughts on whatever i had observed. Yes its easy for me to write poems, it takes just less than ten minutees. I dont follow any pattern, first i try to pour down my thoughts and observations into words, then i restructure it into a poem. I read it again and again, till i feel satisfied.



Dennis E Newell Do you write in other languages other then English? Always fascinated on how Words and Passions Translate from one language to another?



Dennis E Newell Your style and mine are similar on how we reach a final product, where we differ is our life experiences we draw upon! But it is amazing how close our structure is?



Shalini Samuel Yes I write in my mother tongue Tamil. Your doubts are correct. I think in tamil, I have to translate my thoughts it into Englis h. Nowadays I am practicing to think in English . I had my education from an Anglo - Indian school/ teacher , so that has made some difference. Reading and speaking English often helps me.



Shalini Samuel Yes Dennis E Newell , I have already noted it, and thats the big reason i love your poems a lot. I am glad you too have found that similarity. I too wonder how this happens. Anyhow glad to meet a man far from America with similar ideas.



Dennis E Newell The Honor is and continues to be mine Shalini, words can make our world softer and bring them all together, if we strip away the politics and leave just we the people there would be less hate, wars in the world, I am lucky to know you!



Shalini Samuel Thankyou Denny Touchwood!!



Muzzammil Shah Which sort of poetry do you like most?



Shalini Samuel sort of poetry means, can you be little clear. If its form of poetry, i love to read all forms. I have written sestina, madrigal, tried haiku and sonnet( but i need to improve) , etc



Muzzammil Shah I mean blank verse or rhyme.



Shalini Samuel verse if it rhymes it would be wonderful



Muzzammil Shah Which poet do you like most?



Shalini Samuel Robert Frost..



Muzzammil Shah Which of his poem is more inspiring one?



Shalini Samuel The Road Not Taken



Shalini Samuel The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost



Muzzammil Shah Of course, very nice one. What's your opinion about the poetry of Shelley and John Keats?



Shalini Samuel Romantic poets have to read their simple and sweet poems..



Muzzammil Shah What is poetry in your eyes?



Shalini Samuel A sculpture carved from words by thoughts.



Muzzammil Shah Which elements are very necessary for composing a wonderful poem?



Shalini Samuel An idea,right vocabulary, rhythmic flow, lively lines at the right place.



Muzzammil Shah What would you like to advise the budding poets?



Shalini Samuel already answered a similar question. Keep writing, you will learn it as you walk on.



Muzzammil Shah Thank you very much for the answers. Have more feathers in your cap!



Dennis E Newell Do not let others discourage your writing, there are so many types of Poetry, no one size fits all, you will thru perseverance find an audience....Always be true to yourself?



Shalini Samuel Thanks a lot for you blessing/wish Muzzammil Shah



Shalini Samuel Yeah its true Dennis E Newell in this big world, its possible.. perseverance and patience needed.. And moreover should keep improving..



Diwakar Pokhriyal First of all i want to say sorry for missing out on this event. Secondly I want to ask one question "Writing Poetry is normally associated with overflowing emotions or teaching others, do you feel the same or something else about writing poetry?"



Shalini Samuel You are right, when a man relates his feeling with the poem i.e live in the poem, he feels great. I feel poetry should soothe your soul, make your brain think and imagine. Its not just the poets thoughts, it should be a mirror of readers mind.



Diwakar Pokhriyal Do you think poetry can play a positive role in our growing kids? If yes than "How"?



Shalini Samuel Yes. The main problem with poetry is people dont understand poems. Kids should be taught to read and feel the poems. Many kids think poetry is a burden, if the poetry is taught in the right way, it would strike their hearts. Unlike prose, poetry is compact but has deep meaning. Poems are like music, they linger in your mind for long.



Diwakar Pokhriyal Why poetry should be a subject. Don't you think it can be be used as a medium to make kids understand something ?? With already so many subjects in school do students will get attracted towards .. poetry, music or even arts. What if poetry/arts s can be used as a medium of understanding in all subjects ( even mathematics and sciences)? What's your take on this?



Shalini Samuel Nursery rhymes teach a lot. yeah a good idea, olden days, tamil literature had such poems. Its easy to keep it in my mind. but now world has changed, we have to research a lot to decide on this. And poetry cannot be called a subject, it doesnt belong to a particular group. Everyone who knows the language can read or write poems.



Diwakar Pokhriyal If you had to implement poetry/arts in your school then how would you go about it?



Shalini Samuel In my school!!!??? conducting poetry workshops and poetry reading sessions.



Diwakar Pokhriyal It was just a thought But again I more question. According to you....Poetry/arts should be a subject or it should be a language(medium) and Why?



Shalini Samuel If you are taking poetry seriously its a subject. If not too, you know your language well, why dont you read a beautiful form of your language? No problem na



Diwakar Pokhriyal But a child never take anything serious until he/she finds interests in it. Looking at the current scenario of our education, it would be impossible to create interest in our kids regarding poetry/arts?



Shalini Samuel Any change needs time, the previous generation has thought, technical knowledge is more important, so their kids too didnt have the chance to admire poetry. But once they get bored or stressed, they have to come back. Be patient



Shalini Samuel Technical knowledge is needed, but it doesnt mean you shouldnt be light hearted or you shouldnt love literature, both should go hand in hand



Diwakar Pokhriyal Do you really think.."Getting Bored" will give us the solution when we have computer games and so many other things coming our way?



Shalini Samuel how long will you play computer games..Spread the poems as far as you can.. I hope nothing is permanent, everything has to change..



Diwakar Pokhriyal As we said It's all about interest and not "Getting Bored of something else". As a poet never gets bored of writing/reading poetry, similarly a gamer never gets bored of playing games. Should we only wait for things to happen or can we do something from our side to create interest in poetry. Because for computer games also now they have turned into all real scenario. It all started from a simple screen game which has now converted into all close to reality ( with efforts from gamers who develops the game). Why cannot we do something of this kind in field of arts or poetry so that it will create interest rather then waiting for things to happen



Dennis E Newell Our kids Already love Poetry, unless you believe there in none in our many genre's of popular music, we can use this to influence our youth, by showing them Poetry is found in many places.



Dennis E Newell We reach them not thru technical instruction but by allowing them to see, hear, feel, appealing to their emotions, hearts, souls!



Diwakar Pokhriyal Dennis E Newell, Yes you are exactly right



Shalini Samuel sorry power went.. and i wonder isnt it wrong to force poetry into kids life.let thm learn step by step from nursery rhymes to keats and frost. we need poetry lovers as teachers.if they dont love poetry they cant teach the kids tove poetry too



Shalini Samuel goodnight all meet you tomorow..thnks a lot for this memorable day.thankyou Shah Fazli and Catherine Mahoney for your kind help in organizing this event.



Mary Stennis I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU SHALINI, I PRAY THAT GOD BLESSES YOU AND I WITH A GREAT PUBLISHER!!!



Shalini Samuel Lets hope for the best Mary Stennis



Mary Stennis WE SHALLhttp://www.facebook.com/events/547674788610525/permalink/556492001062137/?ref=notif&notif_t=like
The soul rejoices dreaming unheard future- Shalini Samuel

3 comments:

Rinzu said...

Thank you! I never knew this interview existed and you like my poems! Ahhh bliss! You should have told me earlier so that I could have read it! :) Thank you for the appreciation!

Anonymous said...

:)you deserve it :) Sorry, I thought you would have read..
couldnt find your facebook profile.. kindly add me https://www.facebook.com/poetess.shalini

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