Dewdrop and Banyan Tree by Ramachandran Rajasekharan – Book review

Poetry is the sweetness that can turn your summers into pleasant memories. It can also render the pleasant heatwave that may surround your winter bed with a lovely atmosphere. In short, what I mean by these enthusiastic analogies is that poetry is charming. Poetry has the power to make you feel happy and jolly, doesn’t matter what mood you have been in before. Poetry is powerful. I enjoy reading poetry more than anything else. It has many reasons. The first and the most important is that you don’t have to spend too much time understanding the plot, the characters and keeping in mind all the major episodes as you do while reading a novel. While you read poetry, you can simply continue reading, admiring, appreciating and getting pleased by what you read.

I have recently read Dewdrop and Banyan Tree, a poetry collection written by Ramachandran Rajasekharan. The poet is almost on the verge of his retirement from his professional life. He has started writing poetry too late in his life. However, once you start reading his poetry collection, you will forget everything else about the poet and his life. His poems are persuasive and compelling. The way he introduces his ideas and brings his imageries into play takes the readers into the past and guides them into envisioning the future of mankind… everything about Ramachandran Rajasekharan’s poetry collection is mature and exciting. No reader, I guess, will have to say anything about the poet’s first poetry collection other than the style of his poetry and its beauty.

There are 50 poems in this collection. There is a poem having the same title as the poetry collection itself. Dewdrop and Banyan Tree. That poem is about the meaningfulness of life and how we can ensure our days are spent making others happy and smile. Sweet, short and having the strength to persuade anyone… it has been the style of the poet throughout the collection. Ramachandran Rajasekharan has written in simple words. He did not opt for difficult words and too cryptic a style of writing as many other poets in their beginning may have opted for. And yet, you will find that the poet has been at the top of his prowess. I cannot say flawless because there are, at times, many things that recur in this book. You will find the same theme in several poems, at times. However, it might not be a parameter to judge a poet’s works. What a poet thinks and what he writes is entirely his domain.

There are a few poems that are inspired by the poet’s parents. You will find the very first poem which is inspired by the poet’s mother’s work. There are a few more such poems in the collection. This shows how sensitive is the poet toward the art form we call poetry. It is a sweet gesture as well. To comment on the poetic relevance of this collection, it is certainly way better than anyone in his debut poetry collection could have done. Ramachandran Rajasekharan offers his thoughts in a style that is not new but worked in a newly devised way, bringing newness to the age-old themes of life, spirituality and philosophy. The simplicity and straightforwardness of the poet have decorated the entire length of this poetry collection. You will find it.

You can get this poetry collection in Kindle or Paperback format from Amazon India. Click the link below to buy the book:

Get a copy – click here for the Amazon India book page

Review by Puja for The Book Blog