Experience the Soul-Stirring Poetry of 'Verses' by Pavni Jaiswal

1. What appeals to you about poetry, and how does it, in your opinion, offer a unique means of expressing thoughts and feelings?

My interest in poetry piqued from school days, during English lessons, while I observed how poetry conveys so wide a meaning with so few words. What I believe in is that the rhythm of poetry impacts the readers by further enhancing the idea, by adding more emotions to the meaning. The various poetic devices, including alliteration, personification, repetition, rhyming schemes, etc. offers readers a holistic experience while they take in the idea written by the poet.

2. Could you describe the theme that inspired your poetry and how it affected their tone and organization?

The themes of the poems in Verses are from all phases of life, including (but not limited to) love, friendship, family, work, self-care, introspection, and many more. I write both on reality as well as imagination, which may be based on a dream I saw or a story I read. Usually, the inspiration behind any piece is simply adding my view-point to an observation or feeling, and putting it down in words for the reader. The tone and structure depend on the above themes and vary across the poems.

3. Poetry frequently allows readers to relate and understand it in their own unique ways. How can you effectively communicate your intended meaning while still allowing for personal interpretation?

I usually write on common themes which are relatable across the readers, which ensures that the readers can form their own relatability. Also, the poems include metaphors and open-ended scenarios, along-with my thoughts on the situation, which ensures that the verse leaves enough room for all of them to read and relate with the words based on their stories and experiences. 

4. Could you explain how you go about creating the melodic quality of your writing and how it enhances the reader's experience in general?

While crafting the poetry piece, there are multiple approaches which I follow, including variations based on rhyming schemes, which varies from freestyle verses to fixed structures like that of a sonnet. I try multiple schemes based on the theme of the piece, also adding modifications to line lengths across the verses to change the rhythm for the reader, which would convey the intended feeling better.

5. A lot of poets find inspiration in their personal stories. How do the ideas and imagery in your poetry reflect your background and personal journey?

My poems are romanticization of all things I feel, see, imagine, observe, hear, dream, live. I try to put my experience and view to the theme I am writing about, and that is how I convey my personal emotions and journey to the reader. Also, in some of my works, I try to break norms, like Orb of Night, where the moon is portrayed in a negative sense rather than the usual positive take of moon in many poetic works.

6. A lot of poets find inspiration in their personal stories. How do the ideas and imagery in your poetry reflect your background and personal journey?

While writing and forming the thoughts and words for the work, the process involves a lot of background observation from day-to-day lives, and linking across those things. My work includes thoughts not only formed based on my experiences, but various other books, movies, conversations, norms, beliefs, etc. I try to give an imagery of the situation which can be interpreted by the readers in their own imaginative way.

7. Your writing routines could pique the interest of readers. Could you elaborate on any particular rituals or exercises that you find useful for developing your imagination and improving your poetry writing?

       In poetry, apart from the thrill of conveying my thoughts in a beautified version, I continuously try new things like rhyming pattern variations, poetic devices, giving rhythm (like Christmas Carol, which was an attempt to write a carol), etc. Also, I try to find a balance between poetic techniques, and the intuition about how the reader may perceive the work. My process involves writing as and when the thought comes, and work on it till it is polished, though, sometimes if the thought despite being crude may result in a verse I don’t edit much before finalizing to conserve the original feelings and emotions in the sentences, The verses I have written and many a times on given themes, and remaining times, the theme is auto-decided based on the emotion I am whirlpooling in.

—Discover Your New Favorite Poem Today!