Kavi Mal Uyana (A Flower Garden of Poetry)
Author: W.P. Somawardene
103 pages
In an admirably lucid introduction, W.P. Somawardene explicates the main purpose for which this collection of poems was compiled: ‘to instil in the minds of primary and secondary school students the benefits of reconciliation, cooperative endeavours, unity, and social justice, regardless of any preferences or differences’.
It is significant to note that the author introduces a variety of themes drawn from various sources such as, the Sri Lankan folklore, classical literature, religious discourses, English and American literature. More importantly, themes are developed within culturally appropriate contexts in this 40-poem-collection.
Within this diversity, an element of uniqueness is also manifest, i.e. the poet’s vision of a young generation nourished by traditionally cherished values, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. By virtue of their wide canvas, these poems undoubtedly appeal to a heterogeneous student population in a multicultural environment.
Moreover, the poetic diction used here is not a deterrent to approximate the thematic content of the poems, and the predominant use of rhymed verse with occasional free verse contributes to breaking any monotony emerging from the content. In addition, the imagery drawn from real life situations and the mythology familiar to Sri Lankan students adds lustre to the experiences delineated here. Taken as a whole, the collection resembles an epic poem couched in a series of loosely connected episodes.
Another noticeable aspect is the integration of aesthetic and utilitarian domains into the poetic discourse signalling the poet’s indebtedness, in particular, to Robert Frost and William Blake. In his previous poetry collections, the poet had translated some poems of these two great poets into Sinhala. Most of his poems ‘begin in delight and end in wisdom’, a proposition voiced in Frost’s poems.
At a time when schoolchildren in Sri Lanka are being more enticed into imported narratives and interactive texts (mostly video games, Spiderman, Batman, teledrama, etc.) anchored in contexts alien to them, this collection provides interesting as well as worthwhile experiences with which students can easily identify themselves. Despite its prominent element of didacticism, students as well as general readers will find this collection enjoyable, informative, and memorable.
As evidenced by this collection and his previous publications, Somawardene is a resourceful and versatile poet with creative strengths, both, in Sinhala and English. Sri Lanka needs more poets of the calibre of Somawardene.
- Prof Ranamukalage Chandrasoma
University of Technology, Sydney