Reviewed by: Dr.

Aju Aravind

Binayendra Chowdhuri. Loneliness and Monologue. Varanasi: Jeet Composing & printing Solutions, 2011. Pp. 48. Price: Rs. 100/- USD 5. ISBN: 81-901245-6-0. Mystic belief in destiny and a quintessential quest for salvation marks the poems of Binayendra Chowdhuri, a trilingual poet, who writes in Bangala and English and occasionally in Hindi. His latest collection of poems Loneliness And Monlogue, brings together 32 poems that reflects on the enigma of life and Death guided by destiny (13). The present collection, drenched in the philosophy of life begins with homage to the maestro Guru Rabindra Nath on his 150th Birth Anniversary. Binayendras , poems remind us of the hollowness and the harrowing nightmare that remains when the cruel and ruthless destiny snatch (36) our near and dear ones and our every dream (36). His poem reflect the persona of brooding melancholy that exist in the modern age where Innocent victims fell prey/ of the terrorist who want annihilation/ and fancy killing (24). Most of the poem in the collection circumvolve on the theme of death and reminds us that Death knocks at the door-/squatting the end of journey-/ the time to depart (11) when life is at the ulterior moment (11). Death is a silent character in his poems, but what makes his poems different is the manner in which he manifests how Death, a final adieu to our avow beckons us (38). Some of his poem like, Terror And Distrust Ruminate which draws the picture of how innocent lives some to an sudden halt when terrorist attack, December the Cruelest Month, Afraid Of This Thunder, Smarting Pain Of Departed Soul, My Feeling When She Died, and Where is our Mother seem to reflect the agony the poet has undergone at the loss of his dear ones. Like Death, Nature is also a silent character in his poems. Chowdhuri voices his concern for the need and importance for the preservation of nature. A close reading of his poems reminds the readers of His (Natures) existence in his poems, and yields a realization of the moment spent in the vicinity of nature. In his poem Oath On World Poetry Day, he exhorts his fellow poet to compose eco-poems to bring awareness to all the citizens of the world (45). Binayendra suggests, through the poem The Path of Nirvana that the sublime exhibition of eroticism in the emblem of stone made couples in temple of Kahajuraho, which not only reiterates the art of sexuality but also widens the mental magnanimity is the path to Nirvana (14). Some of his poems are political. For instance his, You Are Now In Other Meridian subtly expresses his anguish and anger at the bifurcation at the West Bengal and Bangaladesh and bemoans:

I can still smell and feel your steady scent of aniseed cheerfully, but you are now in another meridianto find amity in your warm bosom I now need a visa (21) Binayendra use of images, symbols, and concepts related to India and her philosophy to stress the importance of spiritual realization of self and to defy the colonial influence and this makes the reading of his poems an enlightening experience. The poet could have given suitable hints or provided a glossary of the usages or terms for the readers who are not familiar with our terminologies. And a few of his poems like Oath On World Poetry Day are descriptive in nature. Binayendra Chowdhuri, who discusses the complexities of life in simple language, is a poet who took the sub ways as he found the highways of modern Indian English literature flooded with numerous poets, novelist, and critics. His lucid style and choice of simple diction make the reading of his poem a memorable experience for all sections of the society. Most of his poems can be read like a stories and they draws picture with words even in the minds of the average ordinary reader.

Dr. Aju Aravind Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.: Email: aaravind13@gmail.com