The Broken Boat : A Book Supporting Women And Progression

As a teacher and strong advocate for poetry and its transformative power, I have long been on the lookout for expression wizards who are capable of lending newer dimensions to this art form. On this quest, I happened to meet Nitin Soni some time back. And here, I refer not to Nitin Soni the person, but the poet, whose craft, as presented in his book of poetry, spoke to me a lot more than he ever could have.

Among the many things I will tell you about the poet, I must begin by saying that he is dedicated and fearless – exactly as poets must be. His debut collection of poems, nestled neatly in a book curiously titled, The Broken Boat – carried many surprises for a reader. This highly amicable, warm and jovial person hides a deeply sensitive and sensible poet. He understands that through the might of quill, he carries a responsibility on his shoulders, which is equally a privilege. In a poetic style which exhibits certain definite patterns, he gives voice to the inherent rage many of us are unknowingly carrying in response to the darker shades the world around in increasingly acquiring.

While Nitin picks up and comments on many relevant social ills, his observations and commentary on gender based scenarios are particularly scathing. He very effectively uses the tool of irony and contrasts to set a premise, luring the reader in, till he subverts it in a sudden and jarring manner. Irony helps shed light on societal hypocrisy which judges too easily but sympathises with much difficulty. At times he is quite direct, as in the poem Ravages, where questions the incredibility of the nation that cannot grant safety and shelter to its girls. In other poems, a well-thought title is enough for you stop, take note and ponder – one such poem is Womb-To-Tomb.

Among my favourites from this collection is a poem titled Even She. Sample the following lines –

”A few hours later,
Another God disguised as customer,
Bolted the wooden door from inside
With a fresh smile and wrinkled face!

She realised in next five minutes
That she can only move up and down…”

Now this is what I would call a brave dialogue with hypocrisy, derangement, helpless and ugliness. And Nitin has done this seamlessly via many poems in his book.

Besides the fact that it asks some very pertinent questions, what is beautiful about The Broken Boat is the fact that while deriving from very conventional idiom, Nitin also creates unique lyric of his own in the book. While glimmers of hope and positivity in the content are less, it doesn’t mean they are altogether absent from the message his poems carry. This is an artistically brave attempt, and only reflects how much of a potential is yet to be harnessed if the poet stays true to his art.

A 3.5 of 5 stars book for me, along with a highly recommended tag. Read this to know a little more about the world you live in.

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Click Here to Buy The Broken Boat.