Facebook Pixel Resurrecting forgotten souls | The Statesman - newspaper - Les denne historien på Magzter.com

Prøve GULL - Gratis

Resurrecting forgotten souls

The Statesman

|

November 21, 2024

As is evidenced in his earlier books of poems, the poetry of Debashish Lahiri has consciously endeavored to bring together cultural traditions, historical monuments, art galleries and archives, not just from India, his place of origin, but from the entire world.

- SANJUKTA DASGUPTA

Lahiri's poetry spans the archives and the arcane to their presence in the present, reclaiming the significance of forgotten relics that assert their relevance in the second millennium. Increasingly in his books of poems that have been published to date, one cannot fail but notice the voice of the scholar-poet for whom the world is home.

In his recently published book of poems, Legion of Lost Letters, subtitled Dramatic Monologues of Romans in Exile, Lahiri's initiatory poem, 'Ovid Contemplates Writing his Fasti at Tomis' is a direct reference to poet Ovid's exile to Tomis, having earned the wrath of Emperor Augustus, as he exposed the covert immorality in the emperor's own household, despite the emperor presenting himself as a stern advocate of morality and ethics. According to experts, Ovid could not complete his intended 12-part poem, Fasti, during his period of exile at Tomis. Just 6 parts of Fasti, which deal with each calendar month of a year, seem to have either survived, or Ovid could have left the long poem incomplete. The anguish and lament of the exiled poet resonate in Lahiri's lines, 'My memories of Rome not near enough/for verse./ Caesar, the poet's gold/is the pestilent dew in my ribs/My spittoon glows in the dark.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Statesman

The Statesman Kolkata

Allen shifts focus to T20 WC final after record-breaking semi-final blitz

Centurion Finn

time to read

2 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Water conservation people's way: Korea’s 5 Per Cent Model’turnsscarcityintosecurity

At atime when water scarcity is emerging as one of the most pressing climate challenges, Korea district in Chhattisgarh has demonstrated how powerful solutions can begin not with large dams or heavy machinery but with community participation, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said on Thursday.

time to read

1 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

RS polls: All six candidates from TN file nomination papers on last day, set to be elected unopposed

All the six candidates ~ four from the ruling DMK-led Front and two belonging to the Opposition AIADM-led NDA, filed their nomination papers onthe last day today to fill up six seats that would fall vacant next month in the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha fromthe Tamil Nadu Assembly.

time to read

1 min

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Kerala HC seeks audit report on Global Ayyappa Sangamam

The Kerala High Court on Thursday pointed out inconsistencies in the financial records related to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam and directed the auditor to submit a comprehensive report within ten days.

time to read

1 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Market ends higher amid strong buying

The Indian stock market on Thursday ended higher supported by strong buying key sectors like metals, infrastructure, energy and auto stocks.

time to read

1 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

West Asia crisis keeps families of Lucknow migrants on the edge

Family members of around 1 lakh people of the city of Nawabs, presently residing in Iran and Gulf countries are experiencing sleepless nights due to US-Israel attack on Iran and bombing of Gulf countries by Iran.

time to read

2 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Farooq asks Centre to clarify stand on US-Israel strikes on Iran

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asked the government of India to clearly state its position on the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, warning that the situation could have serious global repercussions.

time to read

2 mins

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Dame Therese appointed chair of ICC Men’s T20 WC 2028

Dame Therese Walsh has been appointed as Chair of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028 Tournament, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

time to read

1 min

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Thousands to join Bathinda protest against Jiund police, says BKU Ugrahan

The Bharatiya Kisan union (Ekta Ugrahan) has announced that thousands of labourers and workers, including a significant number of women, will gather in Bathinda on 6 March to protest against the alleged police atrocities in Jiund.

time to read

1 min

March 06, 2026

The Statesman Kolkata

Kolkata-Dubai flights resume after113-hour suspension amid West Asia tensions

Flight services between Kolkata and Dubai resumed in the early hours of Wednesday after a 113-hour suspension triggered by escalating military tensions in West Asia that had led to the temporary closure of airspace across several countries in the region.

time to read

1 mins

March 06, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size