The Many Voices of Indian English Poetry

Jaydeep Sarangi's Within Her Home and Outside: Essays on Indian English Poetry is an insightful and thought-provoking collection that engages critically with the ever-evolving realm of Indian English poetry.

- PRADEEP TRIKHA

Jaydeep Sarangi's Within Her Home and Outside: Essays on Indian English Poetry is an insightful and thought-provoking collection that engages critically with the ever-evolving realm of Indian English poetry. Through a series of carefully curated essays, Sarangi explores the nuances, the histories, and the complexities of Indian poetry written in English.

The book provides an academic yet accessible analysis of the works of numerous poets who have navigated the delicate terrain of linguistic and cultural identity. Sarangi's work is marked by its commitment to exploring the inner worlds of poets and their responses to a world that exists "within her home and outside," making it a significant contribution to both literary criticism and the broader discourse of postcolonial studies.

The structure of Within Her Home and Outside is organized into thematic essays, each focusing on different aspects of Indian English poetry, its evolution, and its poetic voices. Sarangi weaves historical, cultural, and literary contexts to shed light on the recurring subject matter and themes in Indian English poetry. The essays provide both individual poet studies and broader thematic analyses, focusing on poetry's role in expressing national identity, gender, social concerns, and globalism.

Regarding Jayant Mahapatra, Sarangi observes, "He always wants a better society—equal opportunity and equity for all. His views are thoroughly anthropocentric:"

Another day of waiting out,
wondering
About our poets and what they
are
Going to say about us (.)" (19)