Meet the Universal Ambassador of Peace from Poetry

Arbind Kumar Choudhary who has been awarded with a number of literary nick-names—The Phrasal King, Universal Ambassador of Peace from Poetry, founding father of Indianised Version of Arbindonean Sonnets and The Phrasal Movement in English poetry in general and Indian English poetry in particular credits eleven poetry collections in English. His two poetry books—Majuli:The Vatican City of Assam(2018) and Mother India(2020) have been included for the graduate and post-graduate courses in the University.Mahatma Gandhi Education and Welfare Society,Mumbai, has introduced a national prize entitled The Phrasal King Arbind Choudhary National Poetry Award since from the beginning of 2017 onwards till date.Arbindonean Racy Style of Versification, Indianised Version of Arbindonean Sonnets and The Phrasal Movement speak volumes about the poetic fragrance that makes him champion of the champions so far his contribution in Indian English Poetry is concerned.

In an exclusive conversation with 'The Hans India', Arbind Kumar Choudhary shares about his journey. Let's have a look into it.

Why have you been called The Phrasal King by the contemporary Indian English poets?

The contemporary Indian English poets can give you the perfect answer of this question . The phrasal heraldry that runs wild here,there and everywhere across my poetry collections is deeply rooted in the culturally cultivated literary land of India.The phrasal junction of the poetic passages makes a large group of verse-suitors madonna of my verses that has planted the germs of The Phrasal Movement first of all in Indian English Poetry.The junction of five phrases---crown of thorns,man of high born, bed of roses,man of horn and gate of horn—in this quintain speaks volumes about the phrasal fragrance to its utmost degrees.Life is a crown of thorns/For a man of high born./Death is a bed of roses/For a man of horn/Amidst many a gate of horn.(Majuli:The Vatican City of Assam,Page.48)

Please comment on Arbindonean Racy Style of Versification you have explored in Indian English poetry.

Creation,exploration and innovation have become the part and parcel of my poetic life. The phrasal couplets,phrasal tercets ,phrasal quatrains and phrasal quintains perfume the poetic passage while blending of Indian,Greek and Roman mythology enriches the history of poetry to its utmost degrees.This quatrain---Bogy,cogy and dingy/Is the effigy of the elegy/For the liturgy of the clergy/On this abbey of ecology./(The Poet,P.6) that contains the ascending word order of (b)bogy,(c)cogy,(d)dingy and (e)effigy has been called racy style of versification in Indian English poetry.The proverbial passage,musical tone,uses of various figures of speech,words derived from various sources,mythical blending and many others have remained the prime poetic qualities of my verses.

How do you amalgamate Indian and western mythology?

The critics can enjoy the blending of Indian,Greek and Roman mythology from A to Z of my verses.Most of the stanzas are proverbial,compact,phrasal and,above all,mythical.The critics can observe the blending of Panchali,Indian mythical goddess with Cupid,Greek God of wine in a quatrain. Panchali's braid/Paid the putrid/For the torrid/Of her Cupid./(Love,p.26)

What are the poetic features of Indianised Version of Sonnets?

Indianised Version of Sonnets vary so far its structure,thought,content and philosophy in Indian English Poetry is concerned.Like other sonnets it contains 14 lines. Sometimes it consists seven couplets or three quatrains and a couplet.The structure varies but Indianness runs wild from alpha and omega of the verses.Sometimes it becomes pictorial or proverbial or musical.The rhyme scheme varies like the running water of the river.It is deeply rooted in the cultural soil of India.I have tried my best to include the major poetic qualities in the small sonnets.So far its rhyme,metre and content are concerned,it is quite different from Shakespearean or Spenserian or Miltonic sonnets.

Do you belong to The Aurobindonean School of Poetry rather than The Ezekielean School of Poetry?Justify it.

Yes, I try my best to abide by the poetic doctrines introduced by Maharshi in Indian English poetry.Maharshi Aurobindo who has been popularly called Indian Milton has not only shown the mirror to the west but also enriched Indian English Poetry with cultural,mythical,spiritual,moral and philosophical aspects of Indian history.Indianness runs wild across his verses that keeps him on top in Indian English Poetry.The Ezekielean School of Poetry lacks cultural or mythical or spiritual philosophy of Indian society.

What are the themes of your poems?

Economic disparity,emotional exploitation,racial discrimination, sexual harassment,natural annihilation,ecological disorder and spiritual degradation are at the core of my writings.

How do you see the future of Indian English Poetry?

Poetry is the voice of the pure psyche that bursts forth with the passage of time. Poetry is the voice of the soul that bursts forth as naturally as a child to the mother.The poetry will prosper in the days to come inspite of the tremendous progress in Science,information and technology.The style or content or structure may change like the running water of the Ganga.

Your precious suggestion for the peeping poets if any.

All peeping poets are suggested to abide by poetic qualities,be voracious readers of their choicest disciplines,disciplined life with patience and cherish unbriddled ambition for success.Your supreme sacrifice will compel the critics to ring the bell of your successful career.