Akaal Mein Saaras

Kedarnath Singhs collection of poems, Akaal Mein Saraas, is a meaningful attempt to give a completely new turn to contemporary Hindi poetry. With this collection, we hope that poetry thrives within its roots, and with the energy derived from them, it succeeds in giving appropriate words to its time, environment, human struggle, and the will to live that throbs in nature. Recognizing the sensuality, connotations, concreteness, resonance, and pervasiveness of the language embedded in the regional consciousness in Akaal Mein Saraas is as easy as breathing! Yet, within this simple recognition, there is much that makes one curious about the hidden or deeper truths of life. In a way, the simplicity of these poems exemplifies the ironic simplicity that can be called the unique wisdom of penetrating the essence of life hidden within objects. The highly sensitive and active poetic attachment to language in Akaal Mein Saraas signals a new poetic departure. Kedars poetry is uniquely and innovatively characterized by its effort to explore and realize the possibilities of meaningful and powerful use of language. Consciously employing the intimacy of songs, the simplicity of folk tales, and the rich rhythm of conversation within free verse, Kedars language for the throbbing truth of his time is unimaginable without a keen understanding and sensitivity to reality. Kedar possesses many words that have been nearly forgotten in the history of poetry and in everyday life, but their inclusion in poetry brings distant memories to life in the present. Kedars eloquent words, such as fallen fields, streets, doorsteps, sands, grass, and storks, exemplify his grasp of life as much as his poetry. Akaal Mein Saras is the result of a sustained struggle to reclaim and intensify the life force that had been nearly exhausted by the tragedy of a difficult time.