A journey in verse
Elizabeth Kurian’s ‘English Ghazal Train’ captures life’s many tracks
Hyderabad: It’s the most unusual name for a book. But when you read it, the metaphor becomes clear. There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic, nostalgic and hopeful. And one finds a lot of this in Elizabeth Kurian’s book — ‘English Ghazal Train’.
It is a delightful and introspective collection of poems that takes readers on an emotional journey, akin to the rhythmic cadence of a moving train. Much like the mesmerising sound of a train, the poems evoke feelings of nostalgia, romance, and hope.
Kurian’s use of the ghazal form, traditionally associated with themes of love and loss, is beautifully blended with English sensibilities. This makes the collection both unique and universal. The poems touch on a range of human emotions — love, peace, solace, freedom, and even greed — guiding the reader through various “stations” of thought. Each poem becomes a lamppost, illuminating different facets of life, while also highlighting the tension between being on the right track but sometimes the wrong train in life’s journey.
The collection offers a seamless blend of Eastern and Western poetic traditions, allowing readers to experience the beauty of ghazal in a fresh, modern context. ‘English Ghazal Train’ is a reflective and moving read, one that encourages readers to pause, listen, and, perhaps, find solace in the gentle hum of poetry.
A banker by profession and a poetess by passion, Elizabeth Kurian took to poetry after retiring from the Reserve Bank of India. Writing under the pen name ‘Mona’, she beautifully expresses her thoughts and emotions through her poems. Her dual identity — a professional career in banking and a deep love for poetry — adds depth to her work, particularly in her collection ‘English Ghazal Train’, which reflects her passion for both structure and creativity.
A multilingual poet, she has an impressive repertoire of 19 books in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Malayalam. Her mastery of the ghazal, particularly in Urdu, is evident in her five ghazal collections and her book ‘The Art and Science of Ghazal’, a reader’s guide to understanding and appreciating Urdu ghazals. In her latest work, Mona ventures into writing ghazals in English, successfully capturing the essence of the traditional form in a modern language.
This collection of 51 ghazals spans various themes, from love and loss to nature and philosophy, reflecting Mona’s deep engagement with the world around her. But why the title ‘English Ghazal Train’? “When thoughts are numerous, they follow one another and transform into a train of thoughts,” she says.
The title is symbolic of how thoughts come together like a train, each one following the other. Mona explains that the ‘matla’, or opening couplet of a ghazal, functions like the engine of a train, setting the tone and structure for the rest of the poem. The combination of rhyme (qaafiya), refrain (radeef), and meter (bahr) in the first couplet determines the rhythm for all subsequent verses, much like how train compartments follow the engine. Elizabeth Kurian showcases her lyrical prowess with evocative verses that resonate deeply. Here are two samples of her ghazals:
In one, she reflects on love and loss with nostalgic simplicity. She writes:
I used to be happy, long long ago
When someone had loved me, long long ago
Today I see darkness when I look up
My sky was so starry, long long ago
In another, she captures the mood of the pandemic with poignant relevance:
The world is at unrest in the pandemic
All are put to test in the pandemic
You need not go out to attend them Mona
‘Zoom’ to the Poets Fest in the pandemic
These verses highlight her ability to blend personal reflections with broader societal themes, using the ghazal form to engage with life’s complexities.
The book leaves a lasting impression, making it a must-read for lovers of poetry and those interested in the art of ghazal.
