Alienation in the Poetry and Prose of Kamala Das

Alummoottil Reshma Purushan, Dr. Sangvikar Nansaheb Vasudev

Vol. 12, Jul-Dec 2021

Abstract:

Kamala Das is one of the most well-known figures in Indo-English literature. Between 1965 and 1985, Das released six collections of poetry. Das writes of profoundly intimate events, including her growing into womanhood and her futile desire for love in and outside of marriage, using religious and domestic imagery to create a sense of identity. Das has been a divisive figure since the publication of "Summer in Calcutta," noted for her distinctive visuals and truthfulness. She gives her love poetry a new dimension by demonstrating her relationship with an earlier Indian tradition with origins in Indian epics. Her family background, on the other hand, not only provides an appropriate backdrop but also increases her poetry's introspective streak. Her poetry is solely concerned with the search for love. Her persona has a sexual "brazenness" to it that barely masks her inner ferment. Das became known as the "voice of women's sexuality," credited as the most vocal � and often controversial � writer. Kamala Das' poetry began as a fiery and moving female confessional poetry, with the examination of the man-woman relationship as the central focus. Kamala Suraiyya (Das), a poet who is deeply engaged in the sexual realm, has always attempted to link love to bodily emptiness. This identification was an attempt by her to reinvent her own identity while yet maintaining a meaningful relationship. Her anguish drove her to seek refuge in another's arm and knock on another's door, as she wrote in The Wild Bougainvillea: "...yearned for a man from/another town." "I always desired affection," Das stated in an interview with the Warrior, "and if you don't get it within your house, you stray a little." Kamala Das felt lonely in her world since she was alone. Except for her grandmother, Kamala was almost completely neglected during her youth, as were the other children in the Nair household. It's a story she tells in her memoirs.

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