Shiksha Dheda : coda

How does a poem begin?

No one really knows, I think. When we write (anything, not just poetry), we usually draw from our own experiences to some extent. Some may draw heavily from said experiences (CNF writers/essayists), others not that much, not directly at least (fiction/fantasy writers), yet we find so many little pieces of ourselves in what we write. The catch is, that no one really knows how any particular experience, event or person will affect them, until after the effect has occurred i.e. it can only be viewed, understood and drawn upon in retrospect. So, technically, a poem begins at the onset of said experience. Who can really say when exactly that is?

Shiksha Dheda : part five

What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?

What I find most difficult about writing poetry is how to take a subjective and/or personal experience and somehow, make it objectively relevant to the reader. For example, trying to make a poem about my specific mental illness relevant to readers that may not have experienced or even witnessed something similar, is rather tough. 

We find however, as we go through life, that we are more similar to one another than we initially think; that somehow, our experiences or rather, the feelings we experience are similar. Trying to effectively communicate this is where the challenge lies, I think. 

Shiksha Dheda : part four

What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t?

I feel that, somehow, poetry manages to be emotive, compact and layered without taking up much space – both literally and figuratively. Yes, there are long poems (looking at you T.S. Eliot), but I feel that even when reading those poems, there are usually just a few lines that really stay with the reader (and continue looping in their minds). I feel that only poetry can do that, without the foundation of any character background/development (as compared to fiction, for example).

Shiksha Dheda : part three

Has your consideration of poetry changed since you began?

Well, to be really honest, I’ll admit that I was blissfully unaware that poetry has so many rules. In my ignorance, I had always assumed it was as Hemingway said: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed”. I always thought of poetry as this comforting mistress when life was the embittered spouse! As it turns out, though, there are innumerable poetry forms, rules, writing methods  processes and so forth. I think, however, that I am going to stick my head in the ground and just pretend like those don’t exist. 

Shiksha Dheda : part two

How do you know when a poem is finished?

I don’t think I know when a poem is finished. I don’t think a poem is ever truly finished. There is always something new that could be added (or removed/omitted). Poems are never finished; they’re always a work-in-progress.

Shiksha Dheda : part one

Shiksha Dheda is a South African of Indian descent. She uses writing to express her OCD and depression roller-coaster ventures. Sometimes, she dabbles in photography, painting, and baking lopsided layered cakes. Her debut poetry collection, Washed Away, is forthcoming with Alien Buddha Press

She rambles annoyingly on at Twitter: @ShikshaWrites. Her website is: https://shikshadheda.wixsite.com/writing

What are you working on?

Right now, as I have my debut poetry collection coming out soon with Alien Buddha Press, I’m feeling a little lost. An entire bunch of my poems have been placed in that collection, which is an extremely personal collection for me. As it focuses on my struggles with OCD and depression, I’m finding it slightly tough to kind of write about a)other topics or b)the same topics but in a vastly different manner, without the writing seeming like it should fit into the debut collection. 

So, I am actually trying something completely different and trying to work, or rather venture into the amazingly vast world of visual poetry.