SRINAGAR: A 21 year old girl from Anantnag district of South Kashmir gave up her higher studies and even her passion for reading poetry and literature for over a year to come up with her own poetry collection – ‘Shades of a Kashmir Girl.’
Born and brought up in Ashajipora locality of Anantnag town, Nafeesa Ismaeel, a graduate from University of Kashmir whose favorite poet is John Keats has already launched her book.
‘Shades of a Kashmir Girl’ is already available in leading book stores and can also be purchased from online retailers Amazon, Flipkart, play-store, books camel, etc.
The poetry is based on author’s experience living in intense prejudiced environment and the internal and external conflict the Kashmiris collectively suffer from.
“The representation of the conflict in this poetry is however embellished with delicate and intricate dictation from narrator poetic license,” Nafees told the Kashmir Ink.
She said that free style poetry has been experimented with.
“This anthology of poetry with ninety two chapters is divided into three themes – OF SOLITUDE, OF SOIL and OF SOUL.
“The first part is anecdotal, based upon a paradox of my inner freedom and external coercions, written as palinodes, poems have a retractable theme, without any monotony.
Written under allusions, allegories, topography is verily evident.From mount Himalayas to gigantic Chinar to Jhelum and Chenab, the poems reflect gloom, despair, agony, pain, on one side; faith, cure, panacea, on other.
The second part reflects the loss, pain, suffering of Kashmir and narrator’s own pain being synchronous to the pain of soil.
In the third part poems are nostalgic, there’s is a yearning for love, romance, the tone of poems is romantic, narrator’s longing for love of her life, blended with philosophical narratives of loss.
William Wordsworth, Blake, WB Yeats , John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Shakespeare are some of the poets Nafeesa has read. However off late she says she has completely abandoned reading.
“I want to go for higher studies in poetry and literature. But after I passed my BA last year from government degree college for women Anantnag, I decided not to for now and instead dedicated all my time to this maiden venture of mine,” says Nafeesa who started writing soon after she passed secondary school.
She thanks her family for the support and reposing trust in her.
“My parents both of whom are teachers and even two elder sisters never ever forced their opinion on me. I was lucky in that aspect. They always encouraged me to fulfill my dream,” says Nafeesa.
“What I feel is that everyone in our Kashmir is talented in one or other field but unfortunately they never get support from their parents or teachers. As a result they never live up to their potential. This is quite contrary to advanced societies where they not only help you in exploring your hidden talent but also encourage you to give you best in whatever you are good at. We too need to change our mindset too and stop forcing certain careers on our children- medicine, engineering, management or civil service,” she says.
Nafeesa feels that honesty and commitment to one’s job is key to success. She has a word of advice for her generation.“Live your dream. Live for yourself and not how society wants you to.” (kashmirink)
https://kashmirpatriot.com/2018/07/28/meet-mehvish-the-first-women-to-start-cafe-in-kashmir-2/
Comments are closed.