Written by Nilim Kumar
Translated from Assamese by Dibyajyoti Sharma
Published by Red River (2022)
Price: Rs. 399
Language: English, pp.178
-Vedamini Vikram
In I'm Your Poet, Nilim Kumar offers readers a profound way to engage with and understand a culture distinct yet integral to the diverse fabric of India. Poetry, known for its ability to bridge experiential gaps, is further enhanced by the power of translation. Through the translation of Kumar’s work into English, not only does the reader gain access to the vernacular and geographical nuances of Assam, but also a broader audience—especially English-speaking readers—can partake in the cultural subtleties and flavors that might otherwise remain inaccessible. However, it would be an oversimplification to confine Nilim Kumar solely to the label of an "Assamese poet" or reduce his work to a mere reflection of Assamese essence. To fully appreciate Kumar’s poetry, we must first encounter him as a human being, and then acknowledge the transcendent nature of his work, which resists geographical or cultural boundaries. While it is essential to embrace the vernacular aspects of his poetry—both to challenge linguistic and cultural hegemony and to cultivate a more cosmopolitan and evolved worldview—his work should not be constrained by these markers. The core of Kumar’s poetry speaks to universal truths, rising above localized labels. Though grounded in concrete, distinct contexts, it transcends the subjective to address the objective, which occupies the central space in his work. As a modern and cosmopolitan poet, he draws inspiration from figures like Picasso and Whitman, and his metaphors often have an expansive, global reach. His work resists easy categorization, and any attempt to confine him to a singular label would overlook the broader scope of his artistic vision.
The book serves as an excellent introduction to the works of Nilim Kumar for readers encountering his poetry for the first time. The supplementary material included at the end offers multiple perspectives and approaches to understanding both the poet and his work. A particularly insightful note by Ravi Shankar N discusses the broader landscape of translation in India, emphasizing the underrepresentation of vernacular poetry in English. In a country as culturally and linguistically diverse as India, Ravi Shankar argues that to fully and effectively map the scope of Indian poetry, every region requires representation, and more translations are necessary. He points out that the absence of such translations creates a gap in understanding Indian poetry, especially in thematic areas like resistance poetry, where vernacular poets excel in bringing unique, often advanced, perspectives. English translations, he notes, tend to be limited to urban spaces, making books like this one essential and much needed in today’s literary landscape. Additionally, the book features a note by Subodh Sarkar, a Bengali poet and close friend of Nilim Kumar. Sarkar offers an intimate glimpse into the flavors and textures of Indian poetry. He identifies elements of resistance, controversy, rebellion, and an "otherworldliness" in Nilim Kumar's work, which he describes as "abstract" or "unreal," yet rooted in real-life issues like love. Sarkar cautions readers not to confine Kumar to a particular state or nation, but rather to view him as a poet who transcends borders and is not limited by time. The supplementary material also includes an insightful interview with Nilim Kumar, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the poet’s inspirations and inner workings. This interview acts as a companion to the poetry, allowing readers to experience both the poet's process and his art more fully.
For readers unfamiliar with Assamese poetry or Nilim Kumar's work, this book offers a clear path into his world. However, one might find themselves curious about what is lost in translation. A note by the translator, Dibyajoti Sharma, addressing the challenges and nuances of translating Nilim Kumar's work would have enriched the volume. While Nabina Das endorses the translation, the absence of Sharma’s personal insights leaves the reader wondering about the intricacies of the translation process. Fortunately, the book also has translations by Nabina Das and Anandita Kar which allow for a closer examination of translation techniques by comparison. Despite these gaps, the essence of Nilim Kumar’s poetry comes through, and the reader can trust that the translation successfully conveys the powerful emotions at the heart of his work.
Nilim Kumar is an established and widely-read poet, with many of his poems previously translated by other poets and even published online. However, this may be the first time an English-language publication, such as Red River, has brought together such a comprehensive introduction to his work in book form. As such, the book is unique and informative, and, due to the power of the poems themselves, truly beautiful. Red River is known for its engagement with emerging voices, and this publication feels reminiscent of their earlier release, Witness: Red River Book of Poetry of Dissent, which featured powerful voices of dissent from across the country. In this present volume, another such voice emerges in the form of Nilim Kumar. Subodh Sarkar writes, "The streets of Guwahati have seen protests against Nilim... he is a poet who courts controversy. Without controversy, are you even a poet?" Kumar himself acknowledges breaking away from the conventional forms of Assamese poetry, and the book reflects this defiance. He shares that his early exposure to leftist ideals sparked a desire to break societal stagnation and build anew, which influenced his rejection of traditional poetic language and forms in Assamese poetry. He recalls, “An undefined social resentment was also born. I was writing to lacerate society. I didn’t care about readers or critics.” His themes are bold, and dissent clearly forms a central part of his poetic journey. Nabina Das, who edited the earlier edition of Witness, introduces Nilim Kumar in this volume as a poet of repute in Assam, describing him as a doctor diagnosing more than diseases and prescribing more than medicines. She reflects on his poems with a sense of nostalgia for her own hometown, which Kumar’s poetry evokes, and she characterizes his work as both urbane and introspective.
In his poetry, Nilim Kumar emerges as a distinct contemporary voice, with images that are not only relatable but deeply rooted in recent, urban life. A central theme in Kumar's poetry is the nature of poetry itself. His work invites readers to ask, "What is a poem?" Is it something metaphysical, as the Romantic poets believed, an "overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility"? In this view, poetry becomes a medium through which the poet accesses transcendental knowledge, relying heavily on intuition. Alternatively, one could argue, as Marxist scholars have, that poetry, like other forms of art or literature, is a cultural product shaped by hegemonic structures and subconscious appropriations. In this perspective, poetry is not a divine or transcendental entity but rather a product of cultural absorption, amalgamation, reinterpretation, or rejection. Nilim Kumar, however, aligns more with the former interpretation, as illustrated in the first poem of his book, “What is a Poem”. He asserts that poetry is not something the poet can summon at will; rather, it comes and goes of its own accord, beyond the poet’s control. Kumar writes in a state of frenzy, claiming that when this frenzy subsides, the original language of the poem is often lost. He states, "Sometimes poetry disappears like this, for poetry is not slave to poets that it could be summoned to the nib of the pen whenever the poet wants! Poetry comes at its will." His assertion that "poetry does not believe in any theory; it transcends all theories" further emphasizes his belief that poetry is indifferent to the frameworks and ideas we often impose upon it. Instead, Kumar suggests that poetry offers a glimpse into the poet’s subconscious, transcending the cultural and linguistic constructs that shape its expression. In this light, Kumar’s poetry can be seen as a voice from the subconscious, an entity from "the world beyond." Despite being clothed in the idioms and phrases of a particular time and place, and despite sometimes being thoroughly political in nature, his poems are imbued with an existential essence. The "I" and "you" in his work are not fixed or concrete, but fluid and deep. Apart from content, this is also evident in form. The subconscious creativity is evident in his poem, “In Love with the Corona Infected”, where the repetition of lines like,
"We noticed on both our hearts, The ebb and flow of the same waves
— The ebb and flow of the same waves, And their refusal to return,"
creates a rhythmic pulse. This repetition seems to arise from an internal rhythm, suggesting that emotion, rather than conscious choice, drives the use of literary tools like repetition.
Kumar refers to this intense feeling as an alter ego, a separate entity within him that guides the poetic process. In an interview, Kumar speaks of the poet as a figure who comes to him "without my knowledge." This poetic entity, which he describes as embodying both good and bad human habits, arrives when in need: “He comes to me when he is hungry. He comes to me when he is thirsty... I have to feed him food and water with my hands. I have to pacify him and put him to sleep on the bed of my bosom. He writes poems in exchange for that." The poet, in this sense, is not simply a creator but a figure of necessity, living through the experiences of joy, sorrow, laughter, and agony that Kumar himself endures. Both the poet and the man live the same life, intertwined and inseparable. In summary, Nilim Kumar's poetry not only challenges conventional notions of poetic creation but also opens a window into the subconscious, offering a unique blend of personal experience and universal truth. His work insists that poetry is more than a crafted artifact—it is a living, breathing entity that transcends the poet, offering a deeper understanding of the world beyond what we can articulate through reason or theory. This collection, with its thoughtful translation and insightful supplementary material, is an essential read for those looking to explore the powerful voice of Nilim Kumar.
About the Reviewer:
Vedamini Vikram is a doctoral student at the University of Lucknow. Her Ph.D thesis is associated with Indian Mysticism and its cross-cultural aspects. She graduated from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and pursued her Master’s degree in English from Ambedkar University, Delhi. She has worked at Amity University, Lucknow as Assistant Professor and at IIM, Lucknow as Research Associate. Her creative works have been published in Teesta Review, Muse India, Rhetorica Quarterly and other literary journals. Her areas of interest include Mystic Literatures, Travel Literatures and Performance Studies.
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