Poetry is an art form that allows us to be creative and express our emotions in beautiful ways. It enables us to capture moments and feelings in a unique and creative way, using words in an imaginative and evocative way. Writing poetry can be a powerful way to express our innermost thoughts and feelings, providing a way to explore and understand our own emotions and experiences. “Smiling in my Sleep” by Ramachandran Rajasekharan features all these ideas while also giving the readers a unique experience that takes them to a different world and yet keeps them rooted in the present one. In poetry, we can explore the beauty of language, creating a unique and beautiful piece of art. Writing poetry can be a creative and therapeutic outlet, providing an opportunity to explore different aspects of ourselves and the world around us. It is both a personal and collective experience as we explore and express our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences and share them with others.
Rajasekharan divides the poetry collection “Smiling in my Sleep,” into 2 parts which show 2 different sides of his artistic temperament and abilities to express himself in different forms. They, together, fulfill the purpose of bringing a smile to the readers, whether it is when they are awake or when they are asleep. In the first section, titled “Memories,” the readers get to see the poet’s responses to the moments that have passed already. He also expresses that memories are powerful because they can shape our actions, emotions, and even our beliefs. “Memories of my grandparents,” “Sunset time after one thousand full moons,” and “Love can’t hate” are some of the poems that can be mentioned in this regard. In the next section of “Life,” we can see the grown-up version of the author talking about the next phase of his life. Since this phase is longer in comparison to the former, the number of poems in this section is more.
While mostly, the poet follows the style of writing in couplet form, sometimes he goes beyond and writes 3 line stanzas in “Smiling in my Sleep,” hence openly experimenting with his writing skills. The subjects that he covers are not only related to the lives of many individuals, but they also embody the spirit of the world and the people that live in it. Poems like “The Squealing Game,” “Adventure in the Rains,” “Rendevous with Tranquility,” “A war against raging stomachs,” and many such poetic pieces show the observation powers of the poet and the resultant output in the form of verse.
“Smiling in my Sleep” is recommended to readers of different age groups due to the unique subjects it explores, which are ordinary, relatable, and understandable for people of all age groups. Since the subjects are born from different moments in the poet’s life, there is one subject of interest for the reader or the other, which would ultimately connect them to the collection as a whole. As they read one poem after the other, the connection is likely to deepen and hence, develop a connection that not only brings them back to the collection again and again but also ensures that “Smiling in my Sleep” is recommended to other poetry readers also. Another feature of Rajasekhran’s poetry is the simplicity of language that it follows. This feature also ensures that the poetry collection reaches more readers at the same time.
At the same time, “Smiling in my Sleep” makes the readers imagine a bunch of situations through its pictorial image painting which the author artistically exhibits through his words. This imaginative element is yet another defining feature of the poetry collection which is of less than 100 pages and an easy-to-carry book. Therefore, “Smiling in my Sleep” encourages active reading as it will make a reader carefully read and interpret the words and imagery. This helps readers to develop their comprehension skills and encourages them to think more deeply about the text.
“Smiling in my Sleep” also gives Ramachandran Ramasekharan a platform for self-expression, sharing his personal feelings and emotions and hence, share details about his life and observations through his creative side in the form of words. Hence, the book is recommended to all readers.
