Biography of kamala das introduction poem

Tags : an introductionenglishfeminist poemicseIndian writing in Englishkamala daskamala das an introductionmonami mukherjeepoem. Rana Mandal January 22, Reply. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Comment. She challenged both the conservative views in Kerala and broader Indian norms. Some common themes in her work are:. Through these themes, Kamala Das created a unique literary voice that continues to be relevant, especially in discussions about feminismgender identityand the connections between personal and social life.

Full text of Poem: an introduction by kamala das. It emphasizes the importance of female independence and the universal desire for self-identity and freedom in a male-dominated society. The poem starts with her statement that she will not be limited by traditional gender roles. She discusses how her true self has been hidden by these societal expectations.

Das voices her desires wrapped in the delicate fabric of words. It also occurs in the following instances:. Considering Indian politics has historically been dominated by men, she has learned the names of all the politicians by heart like the days of the week or the names of months. These lines symbolize how men have ruled the country without granting women the same rights.

In the next lines, the speaker elaborates on her own life. She introduces herself as an Indian. She claims to have a brown complexion and to have been born in Malabar, a southern administrative district in British India. She informs the reader how unaffected she is by regional prejudices, initially defining herself by her nationality, and then by her skin color.

Furthermore, she defends her freedom to speak three languages and her decision to write in two of them: Malayalam, her mother tongue, and English. She emphasizes the sense of being an Indian in this way. In these lines, Das mentions how her friends and relatives anger her by advising her to speak in her mother tongue, Malayalam, rather than in English.

She employs English in her writings because she is fluent in that language. Her friends, relatives, and critics, on the other hand, dislike her habit. They all attack her for writing in English, for it is the language of the colonizers. This interference in her life brings out her assertiveness. She tells her peers, relatives, and society at large to let her be.

She wants them to stop dictating and tracing every step of her life. She inquires as to why they are critical of her. Why is not she allowed to write in whichever language she wants?

Biography of kamala das introduction poem: Kamala Surayya (born Kamala; 31

Finally, she mentions that language is not an object to be owned by anyone. She writes in her own tongue, which is only complete with all of its flaws, irregularities, and peculiarities. Although the language is not totally English, i. Her language, just like her own self, is nowhere near perfect. It comes with its own flaws, shortcomings, and strangeness, which is a perfectly acceptable thing.

Furthermore, she elaborates on this stance and mentions how what makes her language unique is it understands her and voices her joys and concerns alike. Her language comes to her as second nature, as roaring does to a lion; she cannot help her instincts and impulses.

Biography of kamala das introduction poem: Kamala Das, Indian author who

The speaker goes on to argue that her speech—her English—is human speech that the mind has the capacity to comprehend. Though it has its own defects and flaws, her language cannot totally be considered or counted as a handicap, like not being able to see or hear. Das then takes the next few lines to make the readers understand that her language is not as unexpected as trees in a storm or monsoon clouds.

She stresses that it has its own sense of coherence and unity, one that only unfolds in emotions. Before that, she talks about all the changes that took place in her body, which denoted her transformation from a mere child to a woman. Though her body had undergone significant transformations, it was only after her friends and relatives informed her she had reached the age of adulthood that she realized the change.

They made her aware of her bodily growth. Her stature, as well as, the contour of her body had changed.

Biography of kamala das introduction poem: Her upbringing in a conservative family

She grew tall and lovely. Her limbs become swollen. Hair sprouted in one or two spots. She only realized she had grown up since her body started to exhibit womanly changes, according to others. Mentally, she was still the same girl as she was before her body underwent the transformations. It is only after this reference that readers find out that she was married off relatively young.

Her married life seemed torturous and terribly unfulfilling. She could be physically ready, but she was not prepared mentally. Indeed, there were no signs of physical abuse. Mentally and physically, the innocent mind felt broken, tired, and utterly damaged. As she grew up, her limbs swelled, and hair sprouted in one or two parts of her body.

Then she asked for love.

Biography of kamala das introduction poem: 'An Introduction' by Kamala

What she got was a husband she was married at fifteenwho had sex with her in the crudest possible manner. This made her miserable. Her advisers urged her to do some embroidery or cooking, and also to keep quarrelling with the servants. They told her to call herself Amy or Kamala or, better still, Madhavikutty, not to pretend to be a split personality, and not to become a nymphomaniac.

Finally, Kamala Das describes herself thus:. I am sinner, I am saint.