GAURI BEDEKAR: HER JOURNEY WITH POETRY

Gauri Bedekar is the author of the book “Elements”. It is her maiden published work, a poetry collection, consisting of 30 poems. She is an undergraduate student from St Joseph’s College, Bangalore. The degree she is pursuing, a triple major in English, Theatre Studies and Psychology is tailor made for her and her interests. Poetry has been something that has always been a constant in her life. She first recognised her passion in 2017, when she realised she loved writing poetry, and that she could go somewhere with it.

She has always been interested in creative writing, but poetry is something that has stuck with her specifically. Her fondness for creative writing has always seen her through life, but her love for poetry knows no bounds. Gauri considers herself musically inclined, and her appreciation for music has made the rhythm in poetry so simply evident. It almost feels like adding tempo to the words and finding the perfect melody. When asked why poetry resonates with her, she says that it’s comforting. It’s comforting how something so short and concise, can be so impactful.

“A little goes a long way, and poetry is a perfect example of that”, Gauri says.

Coming to how poetry has helped her, she mentions how it has been something she could always turn to, a source of solace. It has truly helped her recognise her own strength, and given her the confidence to try new things. It is a medium through which she can (uninhibitedly) voice her thoughts without any fear, and make sense of the chaos going on in her head. It gives her the power to paint vivid images in the minds of the readers. Her passion for words, and her fascination with how they can carry so much power has also catalysed her love for poetry. When one finds it hard to understand their own emotions and make them coherent, putting pen to paper, gives you structure and space to be able to hear your own thoughts.

Some of Gauri’s favourite poems are ‘We Are The Music-Makers’ by Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy and ‘Where The Mind Is Without Fear’ by Rabindranath Tagore. They are an expression of artistic freedom and the importance of keeping one’s mind open. She draws inspiration from these poems and hopes to reach out to people through her poems as well. 

Talking about the book in itself, the whole concept of the 5 elements of the universe (Air, Earth, Fire, Space and Water) has always been fascinating to her. The ways in which one can use these elements metaphorically to convey different thoughts and emotions is where her intrigue stems from. She traces back one of the most impactful poems that made her realise the depth of her own curiosity, and you can find the same in her book! When asked about her favourite poems / poem she is most excited for people to read, she mentions two. The first one is a poem called ‘I am’, under ‘Space’. She says that it is a very optimistic poem (which is not what she usually writes), and can really give hope to the reader. It is reassuring, almost like telling the readers to ‘hang in there’. On the opposite end of the spectrum, she mentions a poem called ‘The Villain’, under ‘Fire’. This poem, as she says, talks about the various obstacles one faces in the course of their life and how they prevent them from going on the path they were always meant to walk on. It is like different villains in one’s life have an impact on them, and they become a villain themselves.

One of the most compelling things about poetry is the creative energy that passes through the words to the readers minds. Writing poems always has always given Gauri the confidence to step out of her comfort zone and she wants the readers to feel the same sense of empowerment through the same words. She hopes that people will find a little piece of themselves in her poetry and find reassurance in the fact that they are not alone. She wants ‘Elements’ to be a reminder to everyone that we belong, in small, significant ways, to each other and that we all have a place in the universe. 

Her book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Paperfox.

Follow Gauri on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/gauribedekar1407/Written by Siya Mukund, Student pursuing a triple major in Media Studies, Economics and Political Science.