Poetry
YOU, AND OTHERS
This book, Devendra’s first publication, is the long overdue realization of a dream held close for most of his life. It contains poems written over a period of almost thirty years – from his teens, when he started writing, to twenty years ago.
The poems in this collection bear witness to Devendra’s own internal evolution as a person as well as his keen observation of the external environment and circumstances that fueled, and frequently provoked, that process. Love, loss, despair, hope, dreams, elation and sometimes just word imagery, are all presented in a diversity of style and language, but always personal. Underpinning it all is his profound understanding of the human condition, its values, limitations and ambitions as well as its possibilities.
Devendra is a purist and remains faithful to the truth and spontaneity of his emotions and evocations, presenting the moment to the reader pure and unchanged, raw as he experienced it. And wrote it.
Devendra is the product of a global mix of culture, tradition and thought. He started writing poetry in his mid-teens, without any formal guidance or instruction but fed rather by a voracious appetite for reading and travel. His poetic style and content were moulded by the diversity of his own experiences as much as his expansive outlook on the complexities of the world, but never losing touch with its humanity.
Testimonials
“A book of poems written from the heart, offering new perspectives on the human experience, provoking us to see even the ordinary in a new light.”
VIKAS SWARUP, author of Q&A/Slumdog Millionaire, Accidental Apprentice and Six Suspects. Diplomat, Columnist, winner of several International awards.
“Poetry is, at its best, a method of conveying deep philosophies through as few words as possible. Devendra Bisaria does this simply and well, tearing free of the constraints of rhyme, infusing insightful thoughts into his poems through his interplay of words. The poem Antithesis is but one example of what can be done by a poet who knows his craft. Do check this book out.’
AMISH TRIPATHI, author of Shiva Trilogy, Ramachandra Series, Suhaldev, Dharma and Immortal India. Diplomat, Columnist, described by BBC as “India’s Tolkien”.
“……to my eyes, his poems appear to be small gems”
MANI SHANKAR AIYAR, author of several books including Confessions Of A Secular Fundamentalist. Diplomat, Minister, Member of Parliament, Columnist.
“In an impressive debut as a poet, Devendra Bisaria, tackles head-on, the ‘hard to handle’ emotional and sensual footage between lovers. He achieves this without resorting to the maudlin. He guides the reader through his realm of imagination and its often trance like imagery: ‘A Kingdom on Stilts’, sojourns of the sky contemplated by a cast of characters, the unexpected colour of somnolence or even the still-life of a ketchup bottle. Once sucked in … you do not want this saucy dream to end …”
NEIL DASWANI, poet, author of poetry books Red Shift, Why Now?, Camera & Quill and Seen & Felt.