Breaking Boundaries: Gender, Identity and Resistance in the Poetry of Kamala Das and Imtiaz Dharker

Abstract

Kamala Das and Imtiyaz Dharker are the two most popular and accomplished poets of the twentieth century. They won critical acclaim as their poetry drew the attention of so many critics and scholars. They have analyzed their poetry from various perspectives. The exploration of their poetry reveals a despairing world in which the dark forces of life threaten to destroy any vestiges of redemption. Imtiyaz Dharker and Kamala Das convey their complex states of mind. That is why there is a great deal of inner landscape in their works.  In their writing they use various objects of nature as objective correlatives for their mental feelings. The use of this technique gives an aura of fresh air to the world of their poetry, which is mostly obsessed with anguish and anxiety.  Their works thematic their personal suffering, humiliation, betrayal, psychological breakdowns, debauchery and feminine oppression. Inherently nihilistic, their poetry is an attempt to evolve a symbolic order out of chaos.   Inequalities have existed since the dawn of civilization and women have been fighting against all sorts of discriminations: legal, economic, religious and social. The various factors responsible for their suppression were misogyny, romantic glorification and patriarchy. Irrationally romanticized, they were not allowed to play a significant role as independent, self confident individuals. This was compounded by other unjust social, political and biological factors which produced a rationale or opposition to their rights. As a consequence, they did not enjoy a comfortable position in society. This Research Paper is a comparative study between Imtiyaz Dharker and Kamala Das. It is entitled “Breaking Boundaries: Gender, Identity and Resistance in the Poetry of Kamala Das and Imtiaz Dharker”.