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Naveen Kishore's 'Ode to a Grieving Angel' Chronicles Language Dissolution

Naveen Kishore's 'Ode to a Grieving Angel' Chronicles Language Dissolution
Language rebels against its dissolution in Naveen Kishore’s ‘Ode to a Grieving Angel’ · indianexpress.com

A poet named Naveen Kishore wrote a new book of poems called 'Ode to a Grieving Angel.'

The book shows a sad world filled with war, censorship and state violence.

In this world, people are punished without a fair trial and sprayed with water cannons.

The poems are written in a broken, jagged way to show that words are losing their meaning.

The book feels like a play, with stage directions and a special ending called a Coda.

It even includes famous characters, like the ghost of Hamlet's father, Macbeth and King Lear.

Kishore used to design theatre lights and take photographs, so his poems feel like scenes on a stage.

In the book, letters become like fugitives that have come loose from their usual places.

It is about a poet trying to write a eulogy for a world where language is falling apart.

Key facts

Work
'Ode to a Grieving Angel' - poetry collection
Author
Naveen Kishore
Themes
War, censorship, state violence, dissolution of language
Author's background
Theatre lighting designer and photographer
Format
Fragmented verses, prose, stage directions, typography, Coda
Key imagery
Fallen angel, burnt stumps, jaundiced cardboard moon, ghost of Hamlet's father, Macbeth, Lear
Literary references
Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear

Sources

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