Advice to Women by Eunice de Souza
‘Advice to Women’ by Eunice de Souza is a clever poem that suggests women should own a cat in order to understand relationships.
Flower On the Road by Chitra Padmanabhan
‘Flower On the Road’ by Chitra Padmanabhan is a sweet and simple children’s poem that emphasizes everyone’s ability to bring joy to the world, no matter their size.
Freedom by Rabindranath Tagore
‘Freedom’ by Rabindranath Tagore is a powerful and effective poem about freedom. The speaker spends the seventeen lines of the poem describing the kind of freedom he hopes his country will find.
Unending Love by Rabindranath Tagore
‘Unending Love’ is a beautiful love poem written by the maestro and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, popularly known as the “Gurudev” of Bengali poetry. This poem taps on the themes of spiritual love and immortality.
Wind by Subramania Bharati, translated by A. K. Ramanujan
‘Wind’ by Subramania Bharati focuses on the incredible strength of the wind and uses it as a way to encourage men to be just as strong and capable as it is.
Identity by Abhimanyu Kumar
‘Identity’ by Abhimanyu Kumar is a relatable poem that explores themes of memory, identity, and personal history while inspiring readers to take control of their lives.
Small-Scale Reflections on a Great House by A. K. Ramanujan
‘Small-Scale Reflections on a Great House’ by A. K. Ramanujan is an incredible poem that uses a house and all the objects and memories, happy and sad, it contains to speak about a family’s personal history.
Looking For A Cousin On A Swing by A. K. Ramanujan
‘Looking For A Cousin On A Swing’ by A.K. Ramanujan is a strange and thoughtful poem in which the speaker describes a young girl’s desire alongside images of childhood.
Of Mothers, among other things by A.K. Ramanujan
‘Of Mothers, among other things’ by A.K. Ramanujan uses nontraditional images to depict and define the speaker’s mother as someone strong, determined, and eagle-like.
Love Poem for a Wife by A. K. Ramanujan
‘Love Poem for a Wife’ by A. K. Ramanujan depicts the poet’s sleeping wife with unusual, thoughtful, and very memorable imagery and then alludes to their unity as one being.
A River by A. K. Ramanujan
‘A River’ by A.K. Ramanujan focuses on the Madurai River, how it has been depicted by poets throughout time, and brings the suffering that exists along its banks to the reader’s attention.
Obituary by A.K. Ramanujan
‘Obituary’ by A.K. Ramanujan explores the universal toll a parent’s passing can have on a child and all the ways that their memory remains even after their death.
Mother, I bow to thee! by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
‘Mother, I bow to thee!’ by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay praises the country of India and conveys a speaker’s devotion to the land.
An Introduction by Kamala Das
You hear it all the time now, “Down with the patriarchy!” But, what does it really mean and who does it apply to? Well, in Kamala Das’ poem, you may be able to find some answers.
In The Bazaars of Hyderabad by Sarojini Naidu
‘In The Bazaars of Hyderabad’ by Sarojini Naidu describes in vibrant detail the market stalls and products of the Hyderabad bazaars.
Recessional by Rudyard Kipling
‘Recessional’ by Rudyard Kipling was written in 1897 for the Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and speaks on the state of the British Empire.
There was an Indian by J.C. Squire
‘There was an Indian’ by J.C. Squire describes the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the new world and the reaction of one Native American man.
Songs of the Spavinaw by Ruth Muskrat Bronson
‘Songs of the Spavinaw’ by Ruth Muskrat Bronson describes the powers, abilities and fears of a river which is at the mercy of humankind.
Muliebrity by Sujata Bhatt
‘Muliebrity’ by Sujata Bhatt describes a young girl in India who spends her days picking up cow-dung, and the inherent “glistening” power she has.
Mesopotamia by Rudyard Kipling
‘Mesopotamia’ by Rudyard Kipling describes the aftermath of the siege of Kut-al-Amara and those who do and do not feel the imapct of it.
Passage to India by Walt Whitman
‘Passage to India’ by Walt Whitman describes an imaginary journey that a speaker wants to take into fabled India.
On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel
‘On Killing a Tree’ depicts a series of qualities in varying manners, including resilience, selfishness, arrogance, growth, and nurturing.
Partition by Sujata Bhatt
‘Partition’ by Sujata Bhatt depicts the simple tale of a woman going to a “railway station” to provide for distressed people, while her niece stays “in her garden” and “wish[es]” “she” could be brave enough to do the same.
Search for My Tongue by Sujata Bhatt
‘Search for My Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt describes the speaker’s struggle embracing a new culture and “tongue.” While fearing they’ll forsake the core details of who they are in the process.
The Night of the Scorpion by Nissim Ezekiel
‘The Night of the Scorpion’ is a look at the superstitions of another time and the common humanity that unites all of us throughout the ages.
Father Returning Home by Dilip Chitre
‘Father Returning Home’ by Dilip Chitre expresses the generational separation between a “father” and “children” through vivid visuals.
Humayun to Zobeida by Sarojini Naidu
‘Humayun to Zobeida’ by Sarojini Naidu depicts a man who is upset with a woman who will not allow him to further their relationship.
The Frog and the Nightingale by Vikram Seth
‘The Frog and the Nightingale’ by Vikram Seth utilizes its stanzas and rhyme scheme to portray a fictional story of two animals who sing.
Don’t Despise Me by Akka Mahadevi
‘Don’t Despise Me’ by Akka Mahadevi is a plea to the listener. It showcases the poet’s devotion and adherence to her faith.