Journal: Ponder 2023, The Book — Part 2
I promise to end the debate about Pondering Woman vs Butterfly for the cover art and settle it at the end of this part. But before that, I got this question from one of my favorite readers.
Your article gave me much to ponder. I loved the analogy of a ‘reviewer/gardener’, the different beauty of a flower/garland. You’ve beautifully written about the ‘why’ but nothing about the ‘how’ which raises a few questions. How do you decide which poems to review? How independent is your review? What does the poet feel/think about your review? What happens if the poet is not in agreement with your interpretation of his words? Sorry …if this feels like badgering😬 — Anagha Fernandes, Poet, Avid Reader, and fellow Book Gobbler.
I will take each question up directly.
How do you decide which poems to review?
There are two ways I go about deciding which poems to review. I start with a theme — like Nature — the four seasons or the flowers, day and night, or human qualities and situations. Usually, the selection of a theme itself is based on one great poem.
A great poem is one that either has a spark or depth. A spark needs an ‘aha’ moment, either through brilliant work play or economy of words, or its sharp revelation (much like a suspense scene), while depth comes from the layers that are unveiled to discover, much like peeling an onion.
I initially reviewed one poem, then increased to two, and have gone as far as five. Such multi-poem reviews normally bring diversity and dimensions to each review and for the reader, it is a poetry bonanza.
Finding a great poem is like discovering a gem, diving into the fast-moving waters of a deep river — I pick my poems only from LinkedIn because it allows me to cover two points — a) I can connect with the poet in person b) I can communicate and get their consent through this network.
Then there is a third criterion. As I have moved forward, I have a set of existing poets; so I took upon a mandate of looking for new poets. From there, I have started a ‘Tribute Series’ for poets who have featured in two or more Ponder collections.
How independent are your reviews?
My reviews are my interpretation of poems. I look at thematic fit, the wholesome essence, and then the literal and implied meaning of each line or stanza and see if they all add up. It is like disturbing a completed jigsaw and then assembling it back.
This method, often laborious, gives me a near-accurate reading of the poem and the poet. I should admit that I have gone back to the poets for an abstract of the background a couple of times, but after reading, I have formed conclusions that are different from the poet’s. I would therefore submit that my reviews are independent.
What does the poet feel/think about your review?
With close to 150 poems reviewed and holding a 100% agreement, Ponder reviews stand on their own.
The poets feel a sense of appreciation as they discover the depth of the reviews, and love the teardowns. A teardown slows the reader down, chewing and savoring the essence of a line and its meaning, and pausing to explore the philosophy or situation around the stanza.
The teardowns make it impossible for a disagreement. In fact, in most cases, the poet comes back and appreciates the depth of discovery of their words that they haven’t thought or imagined while composing the poem. And this is most often true.
What happens if the poet is not in agreement with your interpretation of his words?
In most cases, the poet sees the point, even if there is a disagreement. I haven’t yet faced that situation where the interpretation is different because of the elaborateness, I suppose. But still, I adopt an inclusive approach and I am in touch with the poet for their consent for publishing rights, they are amicable. I wait for their feedback and then only move to the next review. I hope this continues.
In the event of such disagreements, I will try to adopt an amicable approach. If there is a bit of hostility or an unresolved disagreement, I will withdraw the poem from my review. This is the standard policy of the Ponder Series.
I thank Anagha for asking the questions I have always wanted to answer. Now let us come to the Pondering Woman vs Butterfly debate.
Why the Butterfly?
If you have read Part 1, and have read about the Ponder 2022 launch and its experiments, you would realize that Ponder has always been a discovery and experimenting platform. Now that I consider poems as flowers, and I am the gardener and the garland-maker, I expect the reader to be the butterfly that can still love the flowers in the garden and the garland. This makes logical sense that there are also varied tastes and combinations, hence a butterfly theme made sense.
Why the Pondering Woman?
When I first was mulling over the possible cover themes for the Ponder Series, it dawned on me that a ‘Pondering Woman’ represents my ultimate goal for my efforts.
Between patriarchy and motherhood, juggling home and work, women have lost their space in their lives. If I were to envisage a young woman, who can create that space and time to read poetry, which is still eclectic because of personal choices, and then savor the way I do, slow teardowns and assembly and constructs of great poetry, chosen with care, then it is the ultimate representation of society and times that factor in such an evolution. For me, this is the best tribute to womanhood that I have come to know, dream of, and appreciate.
Most of my book club members are women and I see them firsthand compose and savor poetry, cuisine, and stories in the same breath, and there are a few men who are happy to be in the middle, and contributing to such banters and debates.
I see them on LinkedIn, my favorite watering hole for all things art now — the way they share art and admire others, and I feel that I have struck the right path, and this path, therefore I must take.
Here is the answer: It will be the Pondering Woman again, but this time with a butterfly. The ultimate goal of the Pondering Woman is both wisdom and inclusivity. The Pondering Woman with the Butterfly represents both.
In Part 3, we will examine the experiments and unique features of Ponder 2023, and in Part 4 — we will see the participants and the tributes who feature in the book.
~Ashok Subramanian © 2024
