paper No 202 An Introduction

English Literature

1. An Introduction By Kamala Das

2. Presented by -Nehalba Gohil Class -M.A Roll no -15 Semester- 3 Enrollment no - 4069206420210009 Paper no - 202 Batch year -2021- 23 Submitted to - Smt S.B Gardi Department of English M.K. Bhavnagar University

3. Kamala Das Kamala Das was born 31 March 1934 and died 31 May 2009 she was a famous Indian poet and novelist who wrote in both English and Malayalam, her mother tongue. While writing in Malayalam, she used the pen name Madhavikutty. She was born in Thrissur, Kerala into a fairly privileged family. Her mother, Nalapat Balamani Amma was a well-known Malayali poet who had published around 20 collections of poems; and her father V.M. Nair was a senior executive in an automobile company and editor of the journal matribhumi.

4. works Summer in Calcutta The Descendant The old playhouse Alphabet of Lust A Doll for the child prostitute Padmavati the Harlot Memories of childhood

5. About poem Kamala Das’ poem “An Introduction” was first published almost more than half a century ago in 1965 in one of her notable books of poetry, Summer in Calcutta. Being one of her earliest works, it strongly addressed some of Das’ most prominent ideas in the rawest form possible. This purely confessional poem clearly portrays her cry to achieve a sense of freedom in life. The voice that narrates the poem is clear, direct, sharp, and unhesitant. In spite of being highly personal and revolving around the poet’s own experiences.

6. Themes Finding the self Women’s Struggle Female body Sexuality Sense of Alienation

7. Structure and Form “An Introduction” is a fifty-nine-line poem that consists of two stanzas. The first 37 lines comprise the first stanza and the remaining 22 lines form the second. The poem does not follow any particular metrical pattern. Das also refrains from using a set rhyming pattern. The length and number of syllables in the lines also vary widely, making it a poem in free verse. Employing such a structure makes it simpler for the poet to experiment with different frameworks and more erratic rhymes.

8. Literary Devices and Poetic Techniques Enjambment Allusion Imagery Symbolism Alliteration

9. Symbolism The use of an object to represent something other than its literal meaning is known as symbolism. It’s an impactful poetic technique created by the vivid and creative articulation of reality. This poem brims with the mention of such symbols representing the struggles of women, their suppressed desires, and their innumerable efforts to escape from the clutches of the patriarchal society.

10. Alliteration Das uses alliteration from the very beginning of the poem, such as in “them like/ Days” and “very brown, born.” Here the “d” and “b” sounds are repeated in neighboring words. It also occurs in the following instances:

11. Citation Das , Kamala . “An Introduction .” https://poemotopia.com/kamala-das/an-introduction/#themes . Das , Kamala . “Works.” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamala-Das . Das, Kamala . “Biography .” https://englisheclasses.com/2022/04/10/kamala-das-biography-and-works/ . Das, Kamala . “Introduction of Kamla das.” https://englishsummary.com/lesson/introduction-kamala-das/ .

12. Thank you