Category: English Literature

The Bangle Sellers- The Indian Journey!

Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair…
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.

Some are meet for a maiden’s wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of newborn leaves

Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.

Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband’s side.

The Bangle sellers has been written by the Indian poet Sarojini Naidu. The poem delves into the different stages in the life of an Indian woman, the culture and traditions.

The central point of concern in this poem is bangles and the poet showcases the growth and different stages of the Indian woman’s life through the different bangles. The Bangle sellers selling the different tinted bangles to the temple fair are just a medium through which Naidu communicates and reveals the growth of a young girl to a mature woman nursing a child.

The Bangle is a jewel that reflects the Indian culture and the repetition of the word happy in the first stanza shows that bangles are associated with joyful occasions when girls and women dress up and participate in celebrations like marriage, festivals etc.

The bangles are called delicate in the first stanza which is reflective of the girl in her younger years. The bangles are said to be blooming and flushing in the second stanza which reflects the young girl growing up into a maiden. The bangles are described to be bright and fiery and rich like the heart’s desire reflective of the married Indian woman. The words “grey”, “journeyed”, “cherished” shows the woman has journeyed her life halfway.

The bridal laughter and bridal tear is the transition from the young maidenhood to marriage when the woman has to leave her house to stay with her husband in the Indian setting. The cradling of fair sons is problematic in the current context. It brings out the evil of male preference and the killing of the girl child. Had Naidu replaced the word sons with “children” the poem would have been more visionary and in touch with the postmodern setting. However, her apt use of sons paints the true contemporary picture of the Indian society where everyone preferred sons to daughters.

The word happy wives is debate worthy. Naidu uses the word happy in general to describe the joy that comes with ornaments however a closer reading tells us that wives are expected to be happy and it doesn’t seem to give them a choice. To dwell on a sarcastic idiom it seems that happiness as an abstract is thrust upon them instead of it being exuded independently by the married woman. The traditional Indian setting didn’t allow married women to fully exercise their independence and was often suppressed by the in-laws to abide by the household customs irrespective of the wife’s opinion. The wife was moulded into the in-laws’ customs and this often led them to be unhappy but they were neither given the independence to revolt nor express sorrow.

Browning’s Icarus

The Patriot

It was roses, and roses all the way
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad:
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.

The air broke into a mist with bells,
The old walls rocked with the crowd and cries.
Had I said, “Good folk, mere noise repels —
But give me your sun from yonder skies!”
They had answered, “And afterward, what else?”

Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give it my loving friends to keep!
Nought man could do, have I left undone:
And you see my harvest, what I reap
This very day, now a year is run.

There’s nobody on the house-tops now—
Just a palsied few at the window set
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the shambles’ gate— or, better yet
By the scaffold’s very foot, I trow.

I go in the rain, and, more than needs,
A rope cuts my wrists behind;
And I think, by the feel, of my forehead bleeds
For they fling, whoever has a mind,
Stones at me for my year’s misdeeds.

          -Robert Browning

The duality of character and the hypocritical nature of the people comes to the fore in the poem ‘The Patriot’ by Browning. The same people who had once loved him and showered him with roses and myrtle are now taking him to the scaffold to hang him for his misdeeds.
The fickle nature of people is evident in the poem which is brought out by Browning’s thought-provoking monologue. The people who once showered flowers upon him are now flinging stones on him.

Unlike the first stanza, now the place is all empty. There is nobody on the roof-tops cheering him. Only old men who are affected by palsy and unable to cross the threshold of their houses are watching the patriot as he marches towards the gallows. The rest of the people have gathered at the Shambles’s gate to see him die. The duality and ever-changing nature of the people are starkly evident in this incident.

The poet is reminiscing the past where exactly a year ago he was filled with joy as he was being showered with love by the people and given a grand welcome for returning victorious from the war in the first stanza.

The poet establishes the popularity he had in the second stanza where people were rejoicing by ringing bells and the entire atmosphere was thick with its noise. They were cheering for the patriot with their cries rocking the walls. The patriot says if he had asked for anything from the people he would have been granted the wish.

The patriot in the third stanza is seeing ruling his fate. He says that like Icarus he had attempted an ambitious and dangerous task for his country. A note of fatality is seeing in the patriot when he talks of his “harvest” and having to “reap” for his actions. He seems to have submitted himself to his ultimate fate in this stanza.

The roses that are used to welcome the poet is symbolic of the love showered upon him by the people, and myrtle, in Victorian times, symbolized victory and glory. Thus the poet is showered with love from the people and given a grand welcome for returning victorious from the war yet the ending of the poem turns into a gory picture with the patriot bleeding just like Icarus’ waxen wings felt in the face of the Sun.






IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CONTENT

Starting from a company’s inception, a strong content ensures a very strong growth. From being easily found on the web to developing as a brand, it is the content that holds your hand. But why is it the content and not anything else?

A company as a whole does not have a human face. Since the shift of media to digital platforms you have to communicate with your audience virtually, and well -structured write-up is the only icebreaker.

That being said, a write up needs to engage the reader and leave a scrumptious taste on their mind. A bland write-up shall not surprise you with little or no response.

There are many reasons why a strong content is very important throughout a brand’s journey. Here are some—

  • Makes an impression and builds trust

A good content equates to a good personality. You need to be cautious about what you delivered to your readers.

The kind of write-up you present to your audience leaves a similar mark of impression on their mind. 

A well organised and errorless 

presentation of words is a boldface impression of your company on which the audience decides to trust you or not. 

  • Ensures your position

You can create content that is not professionally skilled, but it shall limit your stint in the market sooner or later.

Quality content can never take a backseat or the company’s drive is not likely to be very smooth. 

  • Fulfills a company’s commitments

A brand has a vision and seeks to deliver it through words on its website and thus it is the responsibility of the content to fulfill the company’s commitment to the audience.     

  • A major driving force in marketing and growth

A well-written article or blog includes keywords that put you up on the rung of SERPs.

Once you are good with the SEO and SERPs,  you do not need to pay for being found on the web through advertisements. The audience comes naturally through their web searches.      

When you are serving something, you need to ensure that it is good. The same goes for content. The internet algorithm makes it one of the prime factors that decide your growth in the market. So yeah, it’s the content that makes you or breaks you.

Reach out to me on instagram @ekanika_shah

🌸Towards being vocal about Mental Health🌸

I am sure we are all shocked, deeply gutted and extremely upset by the news. It’s so difficult to register and almost feels like a personal loss.


A person who looks so content, oozing happiness and vitality in every media gathering attended, amongst each and every small interaction he had and yet somehow we couldn’t figure out what is going on inside the mind of that person. Does it signify our inability to interpret emotions?. I guess, partly it does, but the underlying truth is that people have become so good at pretending and concealing their true innermost thoughts. I think this is where the root of the suffering lies.
Why can’t we be honest? Why can’t we be transparent?.
If we are vulnerable, let us not shy away from the insecurities. Instead we should talk and communicate and just vent out our feelings. Afterall, we have always got so many people around. They may be our friends, colleagues, parents and even if you feel that you are the unluckiest soul on the planet that you don’t have any confidante.
‎Don’t get disheartened dear. Just go and immerse yourself in the divine and you’ll find peace there but you need to acknowledge the fact that you are not alone first. It’s about these initial, little steps towards attaining peace.

Life is so fickle. Practice gratitude daily🙏🏻 you never know what the next moment has in store for you.

Depression and anxiety comes from a set of fluctuating thoughts centered at negativity and that is also quite normal, happens with everyone but varies in terms of intensity and emotional support received. I think it’s really important to to SHARE so that it doesn’t even reach that stage (of suicide) and you never know you can save a lot many lives and maybe your even your own. Let usall be just be nice and kind to everybody around. Even if the person doesn’t seem to be in need, let us always try and radiate positivity and benignity, through our words, to every person that we encounter with cause we never know if that person really needed to hear those words. We might save a life by just being kind so that there’s no room for any regrets.

Sushant starred in the movie Chhichhore and he himself delivered many dialogues regarding how to combat the suicidal thoughts but somehow when you get trapped in the bubble of negativity, you just can’t find a way out. But what we fail to understand is that light is always present, we just need to make an effort to step out of that room of darkness and that cannot be done alone. You need some amount of strength, encouragement and support and that is what your family members are for.
‎
‎It’s time that we learn to be as vocal as possible about mental health and if you feel you cannot afford professional help, then it’s completely okay. There are even numerous pages on Instagram who are there to hear what you want to say without even mentioning about your name. The trick is that when you just let it out of your heart it then just vanishes and you feel so light, so relieved. I am sure you must have experienced this. All I want to say is that life is so precious. It is a gift to us by the almighty and we simply don’t have any right to end what is not created by us. We are the manifestation of the Supreme itself. Feel it, let the power fill the void within. Let us all remember that there’s always a sunrise following the sunset.


My loveliest hugs to all the mental health survivors out there who are fighting a constant battle with themselves and emerging out stronger than ever. You guys are the real heroes and inspiration to so many, trust me. I hope Sushant’s soul rests in the peaceful bliss which we couldn’t give him or he himself couldn’t find in this world.

And THIS🙏🏻

Sharing another heartfelt *string of thoughts* by not a star TV actress or winner of Bigg Boss 12, but a fan of the passed soul!

5 TYPES OF PEOPLE IN LOCKDOWN

1) The Nonchalant Sleepyheads

They have no clue about what day or month is it. However they still remember that it is 2020 and they don’t fail to criticize the year for all the bad happenings. They keep  swinging between Netflix, Hotstar and Prime and rest for as long as their mothers don’t lose temper. They are happy that they get to sleep at any time, they’re having good food to eat and don’t have to do any kind of work besides binge watching and they are completely carefree with the current situation.

2)  The Ones In Heebie-Jeebies

They have kept themselves confined to a much stricter set of rules involving the coronavirus prevention. They are  always extra careful in washing their hands fifty times each day, rubbing even the nutrients away by over soaking the vegetables brought from a local vendor. They’d go on to  the lengths of scrubbing the air around them mercilessly, in the event that they, oh if by mistake, inhale the virus. Suspicion & Doubt is their new closest companion.

3) The Productivity Masters

Once the lockdown would be over, I bet they would come out with well defined six-pack abs or a flat belly (if they are she). And not to forget to mention, they even managed to gain expertise in baking different types of cake, donuts, cookies, pastries and the list goes on.
They are done with reading at least 15-20 books already and would have even finished stitching a mask by the time you will finish reading this article.

4) The back-to-normal Anticipators

Nobody craves for normalcy as much as they do for they just can’t wait for the day this Corona thing disappears and life gets back to as it was before. Because their mind  refuses to function only and they are profoundly scared of being able to make it in the Corona world post listening to daily dose of news, further panicking themselves. Okay, the problem doesn’t end right there, they even have to prevent the mask from sliding off their sweat-soaked nose.

5) The every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining Crowd
They are the ones who have vowed to stay optimistic under any circumstances. They have accepted the fact and are preaching people, through their posts on social media, regarding how the nature is cleansing itself and other xyz methods to learn to coexist with nature. They believe the glass is always half full and are sanguine about the situation being better again, but at the right time. These people don’t want to act as obstacles in the nature’s processes of regeneration and restoration. They are going to wait patiently till the time everything is sorted.

Hey guys! Hope you liked this slightly satirical article written with no offence to anybody. And what do you think  which category best suits you? Do let me know in the comment section below. If you ask me, I think I am a mix of all of them excluding the 2nd one.😛

A lonely world and other poems— book review

“A lonely world and other poems”, by Himanshu Goel is a perfect combination of inclusions and exclusions, of sadness mingling with hope, of a longing and rejection of home.

 It beautifully lays down the extraordinary situations in the life of every ordinary human. It swiftly blends the tales of being compelled into loneliness to wanting, yet rejecting to come out of it at the same time. 

I confess, it is one of the most relatable and captivating poetry compilations. The compilation is a lot of things—home, hope, severity and rivety. It lays naked the fact how the world is full of happy people with festered souls. You may go into a self-introspection mode by the end of this beauty. Ever wondered, how we let things happen, see distances increase and still lie back in the fear of being vulnerable?

It would open you to the strangeness of silently seeing yourself become someone you don’t want to and do nothing about it. It’s a realisation that the loneliness trapped inside of you is beautifully tragic. You will experience being a passionate person lost into a labyrinth that leads no where. The hard-hitting end is captivatingly painful. It’s the place where you’ll find imperfections being glorified better than beauty, society being questioned so blatantly and yet so poetically.


Get it now from Amazon!
https://www.amazon.in/lonely-world-other-poems-ebook/dp/B089MDCXR7/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=A+lonely&qid=1591856625&s=gift-cards&sr=1-2-catcorr

Breakup: Is it always negative? Or is it how we make it?

The very thought of losing someone you love is heartbreaking. But change is meant to happen. It is the rule of the universe. There are some changes that are completely out of our control, where we can do nothing about how it happens. For example death of someone you love. But there are and will be situations where you can actually play a vital role in shaping the change.

I have written a poem on one such change in my life. I learnt that “it will be happy, if you want it to be. This poem is about a different kind of happy ending, not the cliche ones we see in movies. Life isn’t the way movies shows it to be. Hope you find this poem inspirational and in future acknowledge the pain and think how you can make it better. Remember: you and only you can make yourself happy. Even when you believe that a specific person is giving you happiness, its not them, its you, because you want them to. You choose how you want to live and that does not mean that you won’t get into trouble. Getting hurt, experiencing pain, any kind of loss, might not be in your hands but how you react to it, how you want to overcome it is surely in your hands.

A different kind of happy ending

I fell in love with the way you cared,
Even though I was immensely scared,
Cause all the ones I had known, left me alone,
Then all I got to hear was that, I am made of stone,
But you seemed different,
Kindness, selflessness and patience was all I could see,
“Epitome” , I presumed you to be
No you were not perfect, but you were all that I needed,
When every night my heart bleeded,
I pushed you away but you didn’t leave,
Cause ‘a pashmina of love’ you wanted to weave,
I fell for you deeper and deeper ,
But didn’t realize that the relationship was getting steeper and steeper,
I wanted to understand you and give my all,
But didn’t understand why you had started building a wall,
Those eyes that once couldn’t stop looking at mine,
Somehow didn’t find enough time,
I reckoned you were busy,
But couldn’t help feeling dizzy,
Cause it had been a long time I had been on my own,
Waiting for your text, I used to sleep holding my phone,
I realized, the construction of the wall was complete,
Cause your feelings for me had become obsolete,
But your happiness was all I prayed for,
And didn’t wanted to make my heart sore,
I left you and tried to move on,
But my heart was all torn,
I somehow gathered courage and worked on become strong,
Thought by then you would have forgotten me, but I was wrong,
You called me and wanted to talk to me all night,
And made my dark heart all bright,
You said you missed me, and how you would have kissed me,
But what all you said after that somehow pissed me,
You said we are a different world, and I want it to be happy,
Don’t mind whatever I said, because my thoughts had become scrappy,
Somewhere we both were wrong,
We acted as if we were high on bong,
We couldn’t make it last long, but lets proove the world wrong,
Lets make it the best breakup,
So that we are happy and peaceful when we wake up.

5 tips you must follow if you’re quarantining with a narcissistic personality

Hey everyone, This time around, I’m coming with some very raw & real tips. If you are spending your quarantine with a narcissist or an emotionally abusive person, I know how uneasy, frustrated, and drained you must feel. You may feel as though you are walking on eggshells- anticipating what you may or may not have to expect from this person. Because of this, I want to be here as a resource to give you tips on how you can keep your peace and weather this storm:

1. NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY TRY TO ENTICE YOU INTO AN ARGUMENT, YOU MUST STAY NEUTRAL & UNREACTIVE. 
You might be saying, “But! they are so hurtful! All they do is pick me apart and tear me apart! I have to say something back”. I get you. I have been there. But, what if I told you narcissists get their energy and their sense of self from your attention- negative or positive. No matter if the attention is negative or positive it communicates the same message to them- it communicates to them that they are important. This is what they seek. A sense of importance. So my tip to you is to be like a grey rock- neutral, unreactive, & boring. One word answers like “okay” and “sure” “yes” and “no” will take you far. I promise if you do this enough times you will start to notice they bother you less than usual. Why? Because they can’t get much out of you. I know this will be tough but remember one thing, you don’t have to defend yourself against them- they won’t hear you anyway.

2. IMAGINE A MIRROR IS IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE WHEN THEY SPEAK NEGATIVELY TOWARDS YOU. 
The narcissist is incredibly critical, you know this and you know how painful it can be. Remember this, as they criticize you, they are really just projecting how they feel about themselves to you. They hold themselves AND unfortunately, you, to an impossible standard. Understand that they cannot tell the difference between you and themselves. They believe everyone is an extension of themselves. This is why I say to imagine a mirror is in front of your face when they speak to you, because it will help you consciously remember that as they are criticizing you, they are really criticizing themselves. I promise, none of what they are saying about you is true.

3. DO SOMETHING THAT ONLY INVOLVES YOURSELF, DAILY. 
This is critical. This is huge. This is for your sanity. This helps you ground within yourself and stay rooted within yourself. Take a walk for a couple of minutes per day, take an extra long shower or bath, and/or do some yoga/stretches. These all sound like simple suggestions, I know, but try it. You’ll see how much of a difference it makes in remembering how much you and your peace matters- and is within your reach.

4. AFFIRM YOURSELF EVERY MORNING.
 Affirm that you know your experiences are valid. Affirm that you know you are not going crazy. Affirm that even if you are the only one who is aware of the discord going on within your home- your experiences are real and true. Affirm that eventually you will get out of this situation and that this situation will not get a hold of you. For more affirmations, make sure you check out my inner child healing affirmations and meditations here.

5. SOOTHE YOUR INNER CHILD. 
When we feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and even anxious, sometimes it is our inner child feeling triggered by the memories she once experienced during childhood. So when the narcissist in your life triggers those feelings- and subconscious memories, take a moment to be with yourself- when you get the chance- to remind the younger you that the adult you is here now. There is nothing to fear. Remind her how loved and lovable she is and how she will be okay, she’ll make it through.

I hope you implement these tips during quarantine and that you remember that this is just a season, that you are dong the best that you can, and that things may not look as though you want them to now, but they will all get better in a matter of time.

P.S~ The major inspiration for writing this article has been the podcast on Google titled as “The Self Love Fix”. It’s amazing. You all must give it a try.

Words with Dear Coffee

Ah coffee! As soon as I let this word out of my mouth, what is left behind is that rich aroma and the bittersweet flavour of it, still lingering on my taste buds.
Such a bliss right.

Some of you may agree while the others might not. For some of us, coffee is like our essential, we need it everyday at a particular time else we can’t function normally. And that’s perfectly normal too cause coffee is believed to be therapeutic for both mind and body. But when we talk of the other lot of people, they keep switching between the two main beverages; tea and coffee and evidently so aren’t obsessed with the either. And the last category includes those for whom further reading of this article is not advised (pun intended).

Source : Google

Ever tried having your spesh flavoured coffee right in the morning in a tranquil setting, maybe your balcony or backyard or garden and as you take the first sip and allow yourself to be drown into the flavours, try and feel the calmness within. Immerse yourself fully into the surroundings, pay attention to the soft chirping of the birds and the slight flutter of the cool morning breeze as the first rays of sunshine emerge and hit your face.
‎ Oh thenyou can hear yourself talking to your beloved coffee, subconsciously, having mindful coversations with it, exchanging words with your “Dear Coffee” as people often do under the salutation “Dear Diary” while journalling down. You’ll find yourself reminiscing sweetly about the last vacation or the details of the next impending assignment with a furrowing brow or fantasising about having xyz in your breakfast or maybe even sharing your sorrows over the last argument that you had with your close one.
You will soon hit upon the realisation that coffee often becomes a medium of exchange of words in the form of thoughts but only when you truly savour it. I have spent kaa-fi time over having words with my coffee. Have you?
My coffee helps me survive through the weekdays and yet joins me in on the weekends when I have nothing to do but just relax. Thanks to our coffees that we have been acting like binge-watching maniacs to survive this prolonged monotonous lockdown.


Speaking from personal experience, I feel the best kind of conversations take place and quite organically over a cup of coffee. In the above paragraphs, I laid emphasis on having words with coffee alone in the comfortable silence with just yourself but here let’s have an insight into how coffee helps strengthen bonds with our close ones. Coffee quite naturally becomes the conduit of conversations, let’s understand how.
We don’t really just crave the bitter, sweet taste of coffee but also of the hearts while taking in the experience of the precious people we sit with, whenever we have coffee with them. Cause in the innermost deeper levels, all of us crave good company and meaningful conversations. To just sit down with another person and talk for hours is much more fulfilling than anything else given that the person is someone who understands us and I think coffee just simplifies this soothing process to a great deal.
When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation with your loved one?! Think and ponder. Also recall that the first meeting between a couple-to-be, the first signs of the fresh brewing romance, those first few words of getting to know each other even as great pals are all discussed with coffee at a coffee shop date. Ever wondered why so? Because you never know exchanging WORDS WITH COFFEE might actually seal the deal? Give it a thought. And I’m pretty convinced that after reading this article you would never underestimate the magic, the transformative power; a coffee beholds within itself rather you’d prefer to open yourself to this blissful feeling of having words of love with coffee.
☕♥️

That’s the way, the Street Smart way!

All of us might be aware of the general meaning of this word “street smart” but let us now try and understand what deep notions does it have. Okay, so if we stick to the basic meaning which is that being a street smart means that you are aware of the circumstances and situations encircling you and are able to rightly interpret the thoughts and intentions of the people who are surrounding you through your instinct-driven judgements.
Furthermore, you have that ability to trust your gut and that is the reason why you don’t get tricked or played on easily and hence you respond much more effectively to the menacing state of affairs, often caused in an urban environment. As a result of which, you often bypass and tend to cross over so many of the hurdles which could have otherwise trapped you but because of your presence of mind and your streetsmart attitude, you managed to escape. Bravo! And all these incidents instill mammoth amounts of confidence within you which keeps upping your street smart game and you pave the path towards your own success.



Okay so this was a brief introduction about how the life of a street smart functions but now the question arises that how do you become one yourself?
It’s easy but requires regular practice. You just need to allow yourself to be vulnerable whilst maintaining strong grip at your vigilance at the initial stages and be open to experiences, of all kinds cause as they say you don’t know it unless you experience it. Now consider an example; if someone is trying to emotionally manipulate you by the the usage of sweet tones, you might get swayed away once or even twice, given that you trust too easily but not the third time. Why? Because you would, quite naturally, become alert and attentive enough to fall into the trap again. Works like a vaccine you see, immunity develops on its own upon exposure to disease.
So my dear, wisdom lies in letting yourself being exposed to uncomfortable situations that make your adrenaline rush, constantly putting yourself to tests and then evaluating your result later on. That’s how you monitor selfgrowth. Now if you keep shielding yourself by continuing to stay in your bubble, then you are highly likely to get tricked one day or the other because you just won’t know how to deal with those situations or those people, in general because you never taught yourself that and there’s no way to avoid them.
About being streetsmart, know that it’s a self learnt thing and there are so many situations out there to teach you that, you just have to be open to learning. Isn’t it simple? Speaking from personal experience, I became street smart quite organically because I absorbed everything from my surroundings, trusted my gut, followed my heart and then shapeshifted accordingly. You can try it yourself. After all life’s too short and being a street smart makes it worthwhile and interesting.