New Indian English Poetry: An Alternative Voice

This three-layered book presents a new face in the supermarket of poetry in English in India. About fifteen scholars, young, middle-aged, and venerable examine from diverse angles the mystique of Singh’s poetry. The poet himself unveils certain secrets of his art and heart. Foreign readers take strong position largely at variance with each other and argue their case with utmost sharpness. Such explosive comments find their rightful place in this all-inclusive book. At the same time, the book clarifies certain issues regarding the creative use of English in India and modern poetry. In addition, it challenges critics who see nothing but chaos in the world of poetry. ‘Chaos’ in the book is considered a sign of ‘large-scale flowering’ and ‘creative efflorescence’. Rightly therefore, a plea is made to critics of new generation to shed shyness and sloth and face chaos courageously. ‘Face it or you deface your profession of a critic.’ Though the book centers round a single poet – An Alternative Voice-, it, on the whole, advances a cause which should be dear to every reader of English in the country.