Poetry is worth it if it amuses the reader, ignites a fire within them and makes them feel and relate to the subject. A poetry can take the reader to a wonderland wherein he jumps onto the train of thoughts of the poet and feels immersed in a perfectly enchanting combination of joy, love, pain, excitement and all the rest feelings.

Writing a poem is like discovering oneself, the end is not pre-decided, the words flow from within the writer and an elegant piece is created with an end which was never meant but still is the best it could ever have. Here are some young yet mature poets to let you experience a different world through this creations.

Srijani Rupsha Mitra 

A prolific writer and poet Srijani Rupsha Mitra hails from the Indian City of Joy – Kolkata, West Bengal. Writing her first poem at the budding age of fifteen. Rupsha has always been fascinated by Indian literature. She remembers being inspired and supported by her grandmother who herself is a poet and writer. Ruspha wrote her first poem in class 9 and it depicted ‘women’. Initially she wrote poems in her mother tongue Bengali and gradually ventured into writing in English. Love, nature, womanhood and politics are her favourite themes to write about. Her love for nature is evident in one of her most loved poems – ‘At the Haridwar Ghat’. Spirituality and transcendence are the realms she loves to explore. Working as a columnist with the magazine called Houghton and Mackay, Rupsha has several literary accolades credited to her name. She is the winner of the BLACC Poetry Contest. Many of her works have been featured in renowned magazines and online platforms like London Reader, Mermaids Monthly, Birmingham Arts Journal, Muse India, North Dakota Quarterly and the like.  

Her journey of being a notable poet began from winning the Lockdown Poetry Contest conducted by eShe magazine. From that time, there has been no looking back. She published her debut poetry collection ‘Smoked Frames’ at the age of seventeen and has published one more anthology called ‘Dandelion Skin’ since then. Her works delve deep into human relations, feelings, emotional aspects, nature’s bounties and spirituality. They put forth the perfect mixture of beauty, rhythm and the choicest of words. Her works paint a vivid and breathtaking picture of the subject in the reader’s mind. 

Currently an undergraduate English Literature student in Kolkata, she considers herself to be a page poet more than a stage poet. With  Kaviguru Shri Rabindranath Tagore being her idol, she flawlessly blends spirituality into her poems and brings out the best from the sea of words. 

Sahil Gera

A 20 year old from Jaipur – the Pink City of India, Sahil Gera is a poet with two poem anthologies credited to his name. He generally writes in Hindustani (in Farsi and Devanagari scripts) and English. Writing his first poem in class tenth, he has found his home in the impermanence of life; that is what inspires him to write. An individual with a passion for creative arts, Sahil is also actively involved in collegiate theatre. He adores the works of many great writers like Amrita Pritam, Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Javed Akhtar, gulzar Sahib, William Shakespeare. Oscar Wilde, T.S. Eliot and the like. But he finds his sukoon in Sahir Ludhiani’s ‘Chakle’ and Bahadur Shah Zafar’s ‘Lagta nahi hai dil mera ujade dayar mein’.

Sahil has been a guest speaker at the Jaipur Children’s Festival and one of his anthologies has been exhibited at the Jaipur Literary Festival. He believes that expressing and creating bold pieces of art that reflect the true voices of the oppressed and the innate emotion of our generation is the only thing that can make our lives worthwhile. 

Rajeev

A student of technology, Rajeev is a literature enthusiast at heart. He wrote his first poem – a rhyming verse on the theme of separation, in the year 2021. He generally writes in Hindi, English and Urdu. Rajeev derives his inspiration from his surroundings. His inner turmoil and ecstasy are something that drive him towards penning down masterpieces. Currently reading ‘Nadi ke Deep’ by Sachchidanand Heeranand Vatsyayan and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, he urges budding writers to read voraciously. He is an individual in search of himself, the meaning of life and solace. His pen name ‘in_search_of_astitva’ is a true reflection of his ideas and ideals.

He believes that reading broadens horizons and develops creativity in a way no other thing can. Rajeev loves the works of Paulo Coelho, Vinod Kumar Shukl and Dharamveer Bharati. Elif Shafak’s ‘Forty Rules of Love’ and Mana Kaul’s ‘Antima’ are some of his favourite works. On a note to his fellow and budding writers, he says that one should not compare oneself to others. One must derive inspiration but never compare.

Hairat 

In love with her pen name, Hairat is an engineering graduate who began her writing journey in class twelfth. Her first poem was a heartwarming piece about the efforts of a mother and her child’s failed acknowledgement of the same. Hairat generally writes in Hindi and English but has a nook of her heart reserved for Hindi poetry. She believes that she has always possessed an urge to let unsaid emotions be penned down. Hairat is currently invested in reading Dr. Brian Weiss’ ‘Many Lives, Many Masters’. 

She feels that writing stirs something deep inside her and her pen bleeds spontaneously and effortlessly. With ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini being one of her favourite reads, she derives her inspiration from legendary writers like Rahat Indori, Dagh Dehlavi, Jaun Elia, Manav Kaul, Amish Tripathi, Elif Shafak and Khaled Hosseini. Hairat encourages young minds to read as much as they can to shape their thoughts. She urges the upcoming writers to explore and explore and carve their own niche. She says, “Let your creativity know no bounds. Don’t be discouraged by comparing yourself with other artists because everyone has their own charisma, so do you!”

Purva Dagade

A postgraduate student of Chemistry from Nagpur, Maharashtra and a poet at heart, Purva often goes by her pen name ‘The Frozen Heart. She believes that this is what inspired her to write in the first place. Her first poem written in free verse form back in class tenth narrated the story of betrayal and hope. Purva generally prefers to write in English and feels that writing is her form of salvation. Quotes from her favourite authors and poems by her favourite writers often inspire her to write extraordinary pieces. But mostly, her inner self – joy and grief profoundly bring out the best in her. 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho are some of her favourite books. A fan girl of textbook poems, Purva loves to read the works of William Shakespeare, Rabindranath Tagore, Alfred Tennyson and the like. She also follows Korean/Chinese dramas and finds her muse in the wonderful dialogues from them. To name a few, Doctor Slump and When I Fly Towards you have been some of her all time favourites. Purva strives to ensure that her creative pieces resonate with the reader’s mind. They should build a connection beyond the ordinary and let readers find their solace in them. She advises the younger generation of writers to express themselves as freely as they wish to. She says, “Be an artist for your passion first, and do not let the opinions of others intimidate you. Believe in yourself and your art.”

Bidya 

Coming from a small town of Odisha, India, Bidya is a poet who writes in her mother tongue Odia and English. She initially started her journey by writing short stories in Odia but she could never finish them. Then she tried to portray her feelings in the form of poetry, but could not do it well either. This led Bidya to quit writing for almost 5-6 years. But better late than never, she bounced back with fervour and restarted her journey by posting her thoughts on an app custom made for the same purpose. Bidya then started receiving immense love and support from her readers and fellow writers on the platform. And till date, she finds her serenity there and considers it to be a memorable experience for herself. Writing her first poem about rain, she believes that nothing can inspire a writer more than their solitude. 

Bidya is currently reading a poetry collection called ‘Love is a Dog from Hell’ by Charles Bukowski. Khaled Hosseini and Franz Kafka are her all time favourites. Her love for them knows no bounds as she loses herself in their works leading her to complete reading them in just two – three days. Bidya has always derived her inspiration from the phenomenal works of Sylvia Plath. Emily Dickinson and John Milton also inspire her to write stunning poems. She feels that the upcoming generation of writers is indeed great, but most of them are chasing likes and comments on social media. She urges them to be original and read well. She believes that continuity is the key and expressing oneself and eventually building vocabulary will let them bloom into beautiful metaphors. 

Poetry isn’t just a handful of words; it’s like a warm sea of passion. It has the power to immerse you in a pool of emotions and enthusiasm, providing a sense of freedom from everyday desires and norms. Poetry is the art of expressing unspoken and unheard feelings that reside deep within, struggling to be articulated through a rhythmic arrangement of words. Let me introduce you to some poets whose work can make you truly fall in love with poetry.

‘Ram’ by Abhi Munde

“Bharat ki neenv hain kavitayein aur satya hamari baaton mein, tabhi kalam hamari teekhi aur sahitya hamare hathon mein.” Poetry has always been an inseparable part of Indian culture and Abhi Munde in his latest poetry ‘Ram’ has reiterated this beautifully. A Marathi poet who writes and recites in Hindi, Abhi is a phenomenal poet whose pen has rendered some of the most poignant pieces of poetry in today’s scenario. In this Kalyug, everyone is chasing spirituality and God, people believe that God resides within them; yet they stoop low in the most basic things of life.

Abhi Munde has perfectly described this irony of today’s world through his poem ‘Ram’. He sends out a prominent message of realising the actual virtues and vices of human life. His choice of words and pitch variation while reciting is just apt to let the listener transport himself to another world. The poem is a masterpiece; and with the beats paired with it by Nitin Ugalmugale, you are sure to get goosebumps while you feel the essence of every word.

‘Not All Men’ by Jidnya Sujata 

#NotAllMen – a hashtag trending on Instagram came out of the usual feminist (or maybe not so feminist) reels with Jidnya Sujata providing a newer dimension to the perspective. The poet’s use of words, pauses, pitch and expressions in her poetry was just apt to bring out a strong idea in a rhythmic pattern. She gave way to both the dimensions of the idea; of not all men being harmful and at the same time of not all men being harmless.

In today’s world, one can find both – men who commit wrong and certain other men who are framed. And here comes the need for #NotAllMen; but Jidnya smoothly aces the idea of not all men being victims. “The land of my dreams stood strong on the shoulders of men and women, men who knew respect, who knew empathy, who knew kindness. And then I woke up to reality, a place where not all men are the same. Wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if they were?” says Jidnya! Isn’t it, wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if they were? 

‘Sapiosexual Texting’ by Sid Warrier

All of us have once in a while had someone whose message popping on the phone has given us butterflies. Earlier there were long handwritten letters or barely worded postcards that did the thing. But now, it’s the ‘hey’ and ‘hi’ that ignite the sparks. Sid Warrier, in his Valentine’s Day Special poetry beautifully worded the journey of begging from a mere ‘hi’ to landing up in sleepless nights by choice. With the soulful music by Abhin Joshi, this work is even more pleasing to listen to. For all those who are in the midst of sparking conversations, this poem is worth listening to. “This is a universal truth that ‘hey’ is better than ‘hi’.” – with Sid’s wonderful words the smiles shine brighter on seeing a ‘hey’ instead of a ‘hi’.

‘For those Looking for a Sign’ by Ankita Shah

Life is a constant hustle these days and the complex species of Homo Sapiens always waits for good signs with expectant eyes. When one looks closely, every little thing in one’s life is a sign of something good happening constantly. This is the message that the latest poetry of Ankita Shah sends out. The soothing music by Abhin Joshi paired with the sweet and calm recitation by the poet is a treat to watch. She wisely uses words and conveys how gratitude is an essential part of one’s life.

So, for those looking for a sign, Ankita’s poetry is a reminder of the things of beauty this life offers and how one should keep cherishing it till the end. “To catch yourself breathing is a sign.” – these words of Ankita Shah will reverberate in your ears till eternity once you listen to them and encourage you to add life to your days and not days to your life.

‘Apna Andar Kaise Jhaakun’ by Chintan Rachchh

Self-discovery is the art of discovering yourself, your likes, and your dislikes and knowing your heart, body and mind thoroughly. It’s easier to observe others and learn about their habits, but when it comes to yourself, most of the time we find ourselves wondering what exactly we want. The simple question of ‘Who am I?’ seems to be a mountain trek and we stay stuck on ‘I am ___’ with nothing to fill in the blank. Chintan Rachchh, a splendid poet presents this idea of the journey of discovering oneself in his poem. The genuine questions and usual answers hit the right spot and leave the listener wondering how to look within oneself. “Kisiko malum ho to mujhe zarur ilm karna ki main kaise andar jhakun?” – and that is a mystery bigger than the mysteries of the black hole.

Love is integral to society. We come across its stories now and then. We hold them with us for a lifetime and cherish them. One of the favourite authors of India lived a life full of love that brings comfort just the same way. This Valentine’s Day, let’s recall the famous love shared between the author /poet Amrita Pritam and poet /artist Inderjeet Imroz. 

Early Lives of Amrita Pritam and Inderjeet Imroz

Amrita Pritam, the renowned Punjabi poet and author, gained success and much fame in her life. However, her romantic life was conventionally not successful. She married young in 1935 to Pritam Singh but soon parted ways with him. After her first marriage, she met Sahir and fell in love. While Amrita loved Sahir, Sahir was already in love with someone else. 

During this time, Amrita wrote a lot, and many of her works are dedicated to Sahir. When she was 40 years old, she met Imroz for the first time at her workplace, All India Radio, Delhi, where they soon became friends. Eventually, Imroz bought a scooter just to drive Amrita to work every day and share the littlest moments of his life with her. What could have been the greatest love of Amrita’s life is more often reduced to being called incomplete. Amrita called herself loyal to Sahir and distanced herself from more in the same life.

Imroz, who was a budding artist at that time and still looking for success, moved in with Amrita in Hauz Khas, Delhi. This sparked a lot of conversations in the town regarding their relationship, but what they shared was unconventional and unconditional. Their time shared together is commonly referred to as spiritual love. A kind of love that was not defined by social conventions and did not demand anything in return. 

Amrita Imroz: A Love Story

The love of Amrita-Imroz was revived by Uma Trilok’s book, Amrita-Imroz: A Love Story, a collection of letters exchanged between Amrita and Imroz. Amrita’s poetry expresses the sadness that she faced in her love life. However, at the same time, her poetry and letters also convey that their love would’ve been more successful if Imroz had come earlier in her life. Amrita had already named this life after Sahir. 

Their time together lasted more than 40 years until she died at 86 in the companionship of Imroz. Amrita’s famous poem, “Mai tenu phir milangi”, a beautiful masterpiece to read on Valentine’s Day, portrays her deep desire to be with Imroz. To share irrevocable and unconditional love with him in her next life. After Amrita’s death, Imroz said in his interviews that his art, whose muse is Amrita, is meditation for him. He remembered her in the present tense as a companion who was always with him. 

The love of Amrita-Imroz was not simply profound and shared between two famous personalities. Their poetry, art, letters and passionate love define the culture that humans share inherently. This culture goes beyond social expectations, impositions, demands and conventions. They are to be remembered for generations to come in the hope of another life for Amrita-Imroz. This Valentine’s Day let us remember the unparalleled story of the poet and artist, Amirta-Imroz.

Everyone needs little poetry in their lives and social media platforms like Instagram have made it easier for us. In our fast-paced lives, we get little to no time to connect back to the art that makes us human. Here is a short list of our favorite Instagram poets you should read.

Megha Rao

“And when she dies, she will gift her daughters the one thing that protects them: venom.

You should know,

your rage is not a curse.

That there will be nights you dream of floating in an island, your feet bare

singing with other cannibal girls,

your mouth watering for shipwrecks.”

Credits: Instagram (_megharao)

Megha Rao is a 27-year-old poet from Kerala who started with poetry on Instagram a few years back. Eventually, she started her podcast, named Poems To Calm Down To, for which she gained immense popularity. Her poetry podcast was trending at #1 on Spotify India and stayed on top of the charts for two years. In 2021, she released her debut poetry book, Teething, published by HarperCollins India. She has been featured in Penguin Random House India, Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Outlook, BBC Radio, and POETRY Magazine. 

Her Instagram poems primarily focus on themes of trauma, love, chaos, and questions around the self – its positioning, stature, judgments, individuality, and the truth. Her poetry is heartbreaking, and gut-wrenching, it quite literally forms lumps in your throat, makes you squirm, question everything about you, and look beyond the words. It’s evocative and makes you sit back and think things through. With her debut novel, Our Bones in Your Throat on the way to publishing, today, Megha Rao is a renowned performance poet, who still writes on Instagram regularly.  

Aaditya Pandey

“so I traffic in the web of 

amorphous biochemical and electrical impulses 

to understand why I was given 

the name of a mythical hindu god 

who cursed his son to turn queer

what has been attempted to emphasize here:

the curse, the cursed or the curser?”

Credits: Instagram (farazkighazal)

Aaditya Pandey is a young and growing poet who started posting his poems on Instagram in 2020. At an early age, he has received recognition by platforms like Live Wire and Poems India. His poetry is versatile and revolves around themes of everyday life and moments, society and social structures, and self and the being. My Mother Is Growing On Me is one of his popular poems.

Kamakshi Anand

“she said all the women she knew were once girls with soft palms whose fathers had taught them to hold on and hold together, whose mothers had paused infinity and never let them forget. these women whose girlhood was ragged breaths and broken bones, women who’d been smiling too long.”

Credits: Instagram (wingedwords02)

Kamakshi Anand is another young poet on Instagram who started posting her poetry under a pen name, Kia. In 2019, she gave her account a new outlook and took another step towards a successful journey with her real name. Since then, she has only grown upwards. Her poetry is about every little thing in life that we overlook. She scrutinizes them and presents them in profound and evocative verses. Her poems are often sad yet comforting, about society and its effects on us. In 2021, she published her very first poetry book, Say Your Vows.

Akif Kichloo

“and when we touch we die and when we die we are born

same old but purer each time

amen to that

you. you. tu.

to you i vanish to you i elevate to you i fall to you i transcend 

i hum i close my eyes jump off the cliff

to you is enough.”

Instagram: Credits (akifkichloo)

Afik Kichloo is another popular Instagram poet. He started writing poetry at an early age, just after completing a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery. Currently, he is a full-time poet, focusing on writing alone before he pursues higher education. With his publications at The Huffington Post and The Wire, he still writes for magazines and newspapers. His poetry revolves around the themes of love and loss.

Kichloo’s poems have been featured in esteemed international anthologies that include Poem a Day Anthology (2015), Umbilical Cords: An Anthology on Parents Remembered (2015), Different Truths Anthology (2017), Sheraza Literary Journal of J & K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Furthermore, his verses have graced the pages of numerous literary magazines, including Glass, Palette Poetry, and Fly Paper Magazine, among others. He has also released three poetry books – The Feeling May Remain (2016), Poems That Lose (2017), and Falling Through Love: Poems (2019).

Love is a universal language, although we have many names for it, we all feel it at some point in our life. The funny thing is that while we all are bound to feel this love at some point, we still struggle to explain and describe how it makes us feel. Through poetry, songs, books, Dohas and Shayari we resonate with and find ways to express how this universal emotion makes us feel. With that being said, let us dive into a compilation of poetry on love and its enchanting spell.

“Teesri Mohabbat” by Nayab Midha

“Teesri Mohabbat” by Nayab Midha is a beautiful poem that goes on to talk about how if she finds words to describe her lover’s eyes, then their eyes won’t be beautiful anymore because words can’t do justice to their eyes if she finds words for their love, then she doesn’t love them anymore for words could never capture how deep their love is. Through the poem, she goes on to talk about the lessons our first love teaches us so that we can learn what we do not want from love. So that when someone comes along again we would be able to understand if they are what we want or not. She urges us to not give up on love because we were hurt but to let the person who hurt us go and pull back the love you gave them.

“Pyaar Aur Ishq Mein Fark Kya Hai?” by Priya Malik ft Abhin

“Pyaar Aur Ishq Mein Fark Kya Hai?” by Priya Malik ft Abhin is a poem that talks about the difference between Pyaar and Ishq. The poet goes on to talk about what Pyaar is, to which she further describes what Ishq is. In the poem we find that Ishq is a lifestyle we adopt for it does not mean just loving a person, it also means staying alone until you find someone who will love you right, it means letting someone you love go and be happy with someone else. She says that Ishq is a challenge which is why so many people are lost still trying to find it.

“A Burning Heart” by Sainee Raj ft Samuel

“A Burning Heart” by Sainee Raj ft Samuel is a poem that talks about love but in comparison with climate change. The poet goes on to talk about how she and her lover’s favourite spot in the forest has burned away due to climate change. They start seeing it as a sign that may be their love has burnt its course. They don’t let these thoughts stay long for they both decide that as they will help rebuild the forest that is now in ashes they will also build their love by nurturing and caring for both.

“Tabah Kar Deti Hai Mohabaat” by Goonj Chand

Tabah Kar Deti Hai Mohabbat” by Goonj Chand is a poem that talks about the destructive effects of love. Throughout the poem, she goes on to say how she would never express her love for someone even though she may love them a lot. She further explains that she does not want to indulge in love for it has caused chaos and wars in times gone by. She says that she always wears a kajal to prevent her from crying because that is what love does. The poem is painfully true and does strike a chord in you.

We hope you enjoyed this compilation.