Shakespearewalis: Verses on the Bard
FlowerSong Press
ISBN: 978 1963245066
Number of pages: 98
This riveting collection of 58 poems was made possible by four brilliant subcontinental women spanning India and Sri Lanka, bonding over the isolation during the pandemic, which speaks of their resilience and unwavering thirst to be creative in troublesome and unprecedented times. An anthology that rose out of constructive criticism and inspiration between four women fighting the pandemic isolation is a true testament to human creativity and grit.
Even though their academic institution was under attack, they were still trying to find ways to live their version of reality while being productive. This collection is a deep exposition of Shakespeare’s work, evocatively portrayed through their poetic lens. Through various poems in the collection, they succinctly and brilliantly pose questions to the readers, navigating numerous characters in Shakespearean plays.
The four poets, Shweta Garg, Shashikala Assella, Sureshika Piyasena, and Ipsita Sengupta , deftly took these characters and tried to break the archetypes of the women in Shakespeare’s plays. They masterfully offered a unique perspective to the literary giant’s work through their poems. It’s not about discourse or contempt towards the great writer, but a layered approach to his work through the eyes of women.
This luminous collection is divided into four sections, namely “Mad, Mad Women”, “Twisted, Tormented Men”, “Bad Spinoffs”, and finally “Shakespearewaalis to Shakespeare”.
The first section, namely “Mad, Mad Women,” discusses women characters in Shakespeare’s plays and, without using the term as a form of contempt or disdain, turns the definitions of “Mad women” on its head and provides an ingenious perspective to their readers about their alleged madness.
The collection draws a parallel in today’s society where women still have to exist within the patriarchal and misogynistic norms. Through the poems “Who Choseth Me Must Give All…“ and “No Flowers for Ophelia” and among other poems, “Lady Macbeth” shows that women are still vilified for not following the rules of society and are often left to bear the burden. Through the poem “Nerissa,” the poet offers strength and resilience shown by women in the face of calamity, surrounded by men steeped in cowardice.
Furthermore, the poem “Cordelia” highlights the suffering and the devastating consequences of a woman in society who often has to suffer the consequences of bad, rash decisions imposed on her. The poets, through their varied poems, draw a stark parallel between the women suffering from the patriarchal and misogynistic expectations during Shakespearean times with the current times. The poem “Love no more, no less” talks about reclaiming the broken pieces once scorned and dejected by loved ones. The poem stresses the strength of self-love and affirms it, which is essentially a prerequisite in today’s times to live a wholesome life. Similarly, the poem “Lavinia Revelation” portrays the character as an allegory of suffering and the consequences of patriarchal abuse.
“What Kind of a Shakespearean Mom Are You?” masterfully explains the vivid versions of the maternal archetypes through shades of “The Absent Mom, “ “The Killer Mother“, “The Bridal Mother,” and “The Tigress Mom”. The poets in this anthology evocatively express their influence and interpretation of the Shakespearean work through this collection, which gives a fresh perspective to its readers.
The second section, “Twisted, Tormented Men,” through its poems, deals with the male characters in Shakespeare’s plays. The sections delve into the toxic and often heroic masculine characters depicted in the plays. The poets collectively expose the vulnerabilities of the men portrayed in the Shakespearean plays and render an explanation from a woman’s point of view.
The poems like “Othello Dilemma”, and “Bottom’s Questions” poses the unhealthy expectation placed on men as a result of set of cultural norms and behaviors that promote a narrow and harmful definition of manhood—emphasizing traits like emotional suppression, dominance, aggression, and the devaluation of traits that are considered “feminine.”
Men are often discouraged from expressing vulnerability, fear, sadness, or affection as posed in the poem “Hamlet’s freedom” and “To be or not to be”. Strength is often equated with physical or emotional control, leading to violent behavior or power struggles. There is often a rejection of anything perceived as “weak” or non-masculine, which can lead to discrimination or dehumanization of others. The poem “Out of the Closet” reveals how the men in society have often bowed to the gendered role and twisted toxic masculinity while suppressing their desire.
This powerful section deals with the men depicted in the plays and defines them as victims of the toxic masculinity that is deeply seated in our culture, and how often men bear the brunt of it.
The third section, “Bad Spin Offs,” with poems like “Romeo Miyan” and “The Monsoon Rain” of the collection, while highlighting the banality of using idioms based on Shakespeare’s plays, albeit explains them with a humorous twist. The poems “Temporary Love“ take a dig at the fleeting nature of love and passion in a marriage.
The poems “And the Women Waits” and “Wanted” bring out woefully sexist and biased societal expectations. The poems at the tail end of the sections poke at Shakespearean plays and characters, whilst adding a humorous twist through poetry. “The Bad Spin-off” section is a true testament to the poets’ masterful lyrical composition and their craft while adding a humorous dimension to it.
The fourth and tail end of the section called “Shakespearwalis to Shakespeare-Verses on the Bard ” is finally an ode and commentary through a series of epistolary poems as observed by four poets of the anthology. The profundity of the emotions captured in the short poems is simply breathtaking and speaks of the brilliance of the poetic craft of the authors.
A collection I deeply recommend to readers who are admirers of Shakespeare’s work, and those who are brave enough to explore a spin-off version of it through the eyes of modern progressive women.
Megha Sood is a Pushcart Nominated Award-Winning Poet, Editor, Author, and Literary Activist based in New Jersey, USA. She is an Associate Editor at MookyChick(UK), Life and Legends (USA), and Literary Partner in the project “Life in Quarantine'' with Stanford University, USA. Works featured in journals, including Poetry Society of New York, New York Public Library zine, NPR, WNYC Studio, PBS American Portrait, American Writers Review, Stanford Daily, Kissing Dynamite, Rising Phoenix Review, and many more.Blogs at https://meghasworldsite.wordpress.com/.Tweets at @meghasood16