Not anything, and only on the premise that reviewing a book can also be considered one form of art in literature, I am writing a minor review on the book titled, “Season and Senses”
(Seeta in conversation with Bhutan Echoes on her book.)
Seeta Maya Rai, the author of the book, ‘Seasons and Senses’ is a high school student, who has fallen in love with poetry since her elementary days. Hailing from Dorokha Drungkhag in Samtse, one of the remotest places in Bhutan, Seeta, (I didn’t know prior to reading her book) has also been the recipient of prestigious literary accolades such as Rabindranath Tagore Literary Honors, and Order of Shakespeare Medal from various international literary forums.
So, about the author, in ways more than I should have known about her, I only first saw her recently through her Facebook page Writer’s World, where she posted pictures of people holding her book in their hands. Little while after scrolling down her page, the singular post in which the author had thanked a Russian writer and musician, who sings one of the author’s poems titled, ‘Lullaby’ to lull the baby Victoria into sleep, immediately excited me to grab a copy of the book.
(Published in 2022 by BPS)
“Season and Senses” is an anthology of 51 beautiful poems written in a page of 111. According to the little information I could infer from the book cover, it is safe to say that the book contains the best of poems that the writer has written of many. The poem book includes myriads of subject matter such as an ode to celestial bodies and seasons, praises on the beauty of places and people, eulogy to inspirational souls from past and present, secret wishes and desires, opinions on the crisis of a man, and most enjoyably, fondest recollections of the author’s life back in her village.
On the themes, although there are variable subtle themes left to the subjectivity of a different reader, I personally feel that the theme of nature, and human beings’s innate relationship with nature pervades significantly throughout the landscape of her book.
For example, in one of her poem lines, the writer writes,
A man with gold travels the world by money;
-Excerpt from the book-
Fills his heart with moments of joy and honey.
And as his travels end, he finds the world as it is;
Favored by the chirping birds and busy bees.”
Such lines from the poem aptly captures the the crisis of a modern man who travels the world over, away from nature, chasing luxury and happiness, only to return home one day to find their true happiness dripping from the warmth of mother nature. Inspired by William Wordsworth, a romantic period writer, who strongly supported the French Revolution hoping that the cause would give him and the world a comfort of peace and solace, but later on completely got disillusioned by the bloodshed; I think, Seeta’s poetry also bears the same message of French Revolution’s slogan that said, ‘Return to Nature’. I think the poem is in its own reflection of beauty, attempts to remind humanity to reconsider our values and the beauty of life around nature, that daily inspires the very survival of human life on earth.
In conclusion, If you are a nature-loving person, I recommend readers that the book can be a lifelong friend to keep, because you will enjoy, the vivid imagination of the poet, waking early morning to the beams of a sunrise, communicating with birds and foliages, rainbows and watersheds as she walks through the woods towards her school, and when the day resigns, sits by the age-old frail window of her home, gazes at the waltzing stars and glittering moon, before she captures all the sensibilities they evoke into a beautiful language of poems.
‘Season and Senses’ is a well composed work of art, written true to the experiences of the author’s life with nature. The languages are simple, the rhymes, voice and tone are authentic, and I feel she made it appear that writing poetry is a natural gift to her.
In just two words, reading ‘Season and Senses’ has been to me a – Healing Therapy.
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