SECOND REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION
by
Satish Kumar
ISBN 978-93-91984-79-3
Price: Rs. 825.00
pp.: 456
Satish Kumar’s A Survey of Indian English Literature (Poetry) to me appears the first book on poetry that can safely boast of nearly a satisfactory survey of Indian English Poetry…… It has gone into reprints several times. Kumar is modest and understands flaws before taking up the subject of this nature. He says, “Indian English Poetry has attained both fecundity and excellence of craftsmanship. It represents various phases of the development of our multitudinous cultural and national life right from the nineteenth century to the mid- nineties of the twentieth century … It is dynamic and growing literature to which new additions are being made every day. Its future is immense.” …
—P.C.K. Prem, History of Contemporary Indian English Literature, Vol.I, 2019, 671-673
The present work is both comprehensive and lucid and is clearly a reflection of considerable scholarship and painstaking meticulousness …… In his assessment, the author has covered all aspects of a poet’s work—the diction, style, craftsmanship, content and feelings. … On the whole an excellent work. The book is worth reading.
—R.P. Singh, University News, Vol.39, No 46, November 2001.
A Survey of Indian English Poetry is part of a 4 volume reference work on Indian English literature that Satish Kumar has written to highlight the achievements of Indian authors of poetry, prose, drama and novel. The book is a comprehensive presentation of the dynamic growth of Indian English poetry since the beginning of the nineteenth century. …. Satish Kumar’s Survey is indeed focused on “the variety, fecundity, and vitality of Post-Independence Indian English poetry”.
—R.K. Singh, Indian Book Chronicle, October, 2001
You have rendered a great service to Indian Literature by continuing and developing the great process of history writing which Professor K.R. Sriniwas Iyengar began with his Indian Writing in English. You four great works fulfill a long felt need by making the history of Indian English Literature up-to-date.
—Maha Nand Sharma, Letter to the writer, 12.09.2004
The first edition of A Survey of Indian English Poetry appeared in 2001. During the intervening period Indian poetry in English has taken long strides. The transformational socio- economic and political changes have impacted the thematic content of poetry. New poetic techniques, linguistic and stylistic devices were evolved to express the changing national ethos. The urban poetry of Ezekiel, Shiva K. Kumar, Arun Kolatkar, Dilip Chitre and others was on the wane and new poets –O.P.Bhatnagar, I.K. Sharma, D.C Chambial, R.K. Singh, P.C.K. Prem, Bibhu Padhi, Niranjan Mohanty, K.V.Dominic, Saroj Padhi, C.L.Khatri, Vihang Nayak,who emerged on the poetical horizon, are concerned with the evils of rapid urbanization and they evince keen interest in semi-urban and even in rural background. Irrecoverable damage to ecology and ever increasing environmental pollution seriously concern all these poets. They emphasize on the need of forestation, rejuvenation of nature and restoration of intimate contact between man and nature. Poetry is really an intuitive experience which the new poets, endowed with poetic talent and fecundity of imagination, and penetrating insight into the multitudinous variety of life around them, could express in new poetic idiom and innovative linguistic and stylistic devices. Poetry is dynamic, not static. It is an authentic expression of changing national ethos and sensibility which subsumes racial memories and eternal cultural verities. …
… This revised and updated edition includes multidimensional evolution of modern and cotemporary Indian English poetry and contains an exhaustive critical appraisal of the stalwarts’ contribution to contemporary poetry. An attempt has been made to bring to light many unexplored aspects of contemporary Indian English poetry.
What distresses me most is the mushroom growth of poetry. Poetasters, who stigmatize “poetry”, are found everywhere. They have formed poetry societies, which organize poetry conferences in which such pseudo poets recite their verses, get awards and commendations. All this is done on give and take basis. Self financed anthologies are published to promote mushroom poetry. With all humility I have to state that I have endeavoured to discard all such poetasters. An objective and dispassionate critic’s prime concern is how to make poetry safe from wild mushroom growth. After all, grain has to be separated from husk.
It is impossible to encompass all poets in a book. A dynamic and growing literature to which new additions are made every day cannot be circumscribed in a book.
I am sure that researchers, teachers, students and readers will find the updated edition useful. …
— from the “Preface to the Second Edition”
4 comments:
Prof. Satish Kumar , an eminent scholar and critic has secured an exclusive position for himself among the stalwarts of Indian English Literature .The chronological study of Indian English Literature in four volumes is the landmark contribution of Prof.Satish Kumar to this field.
The second revised and enlarged edition of Indian English Poetry is an exhaustive document on the evolution of the genre. The book presents a thorough exploration of major works of renowned poets as well as lesser known yet significant voices. Inclusion of contemporary women poets in the volume is a star feature of the book. The style of writing is engaging and accessible making the book an illuminating resource for students, research scholars , writers and anybody interested in the understanding of Indan Writing in English.
A Survey of Indian English Poetry by eminent scholar and critic Prof. Satish Kumar is a highly beneficial work to the realm of Indian Writng in English. The revised edition is a captivating exploration of Indian English Poetry.
The book covers the history of Indian English Poetry from proem to the contemporary period. It will definitely serve as a useful resourse to the lovers of literary history.
Prof. Satish Kumar an author of international renown has made immense contribution to the field of English Literature especially Indian Writing in English. His four volumes on the History of Indian English Literature are amazing for their content , style and all the more the wide range of topics. Recently the revised and enlarged edition of A Survey of Indian English Poetry has been published. it offers an insightful journey into the rich literary landscape of Indian English Poetry.
Through meticulous research the author presents comprehensive details of genre's evolution , themes and major and minor poets. Inclusion of covid poets is a remarkable feature of the book. The updated edition will certainly prove to be a valuable addition to the field of Indian English Literature .
Prof. Satish Kumar's recently published updated edition of A Survey of Indian English Poetry is a significant contribution to the field of Indian English Literature .Comprehensive research on the stalwarts of Indian English Poetry and contemporary poets make it a useful resource for students, writers, teachers and anyone keen to understand the growth of Indian English Poetry. Linguistic proficiency and engaging style of the author make it very interesting .
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