P.B. Shelley once said, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” This quote holds relevance even years later when times and civilization may have changed, and yet, the role of poets still remains the same. Chandan Sarkar, in his poetry collection, “Beyond The Horizon with You and Life: selected poems on the inner self, thoughts, and life,” justifies Shelley’s statement to all extent.
Herein, the readers would find work born from a deeply reflective and observant mind. Sarkar has recorded his observations in verse form and given them the depth of an analytical mind. The poems, to some, may appear to be simple poems that are a product of the poet’s experience. On delving deeper into the content, the readers would find layers of meaning which they can only understand when they get closely involved with the author’s writing.
He keeps the initial poems such that the readers can quickly understand what he is trying to say and eventually raises the bar where they continue to read and simultaneously wonder how the poet complicates and yet says things effortlessly with fewer words every time. His poems can be as short as “Sunrise” and as long as “Shame,” but the thought remains clear, focused, and concise. This curtness and objectivity in the writing style of the poet would impress the readers to quite an extent. At the same time, the poet is selective about the themes he covers. He talks about life in “An Infinite Moment,” and through metaphors of nature, he conveys the message of introspection and thinking over things objectively. Poems like “Footpath” and “Shame” effortlessly connect nature and civilization and also critique humankind and its ways. “A Morning Walk” and “Sunrise” are about a new day and a fresh start which implies remaining positive and hopeful at all points of life. “Searching for A Better Place” is about the utopian world which the poet dreams of. Other poems like “Pieces of Lives” explore the basic instincts of human beings and how their lives revolve around them. Therefore, the poems are multi-dimensional, and all readers would find something or the other as per their interests in reading and subjects. Readers who are interested in reading poetry which is the product of a mature mind can take “Beyond The Horizon with You and Life” without any second thoughts. Mature readers would find themselves instantly connecting with the poetry, and younger readers would find their minds being opened beyond horizons.
Reviewed By: Akhila Saroha, The Literature Times