Book Review: Hiraeth by Mansi N. Kashyap

Hiraeth
Author: Mansi Narula Kashyap
Publisher: Notion Press
Rating: 3/5

Be it William Wordsworth’s apprehension regarding ‘what man has made of man’ or Percy Shelley’s quest to find the real meaning of happiness, several poets of the 19th century were more disappointed by the deteriorating relationship between man and nature. Knowing that those poets stressed upon the fact that heaven exists on Earth but man, governed by god-complex, seeks it elsewhere and in the process, he paves the pathway to hell, it didn’t take me long to realize that Hiraeth is also based on a similar premise. Hiraeth is a Welsh word that means homesickness or nostalgia that overpowers the mind and the heart when one embarks on an unpremeditated journey in search of ‘a home that never was’.

I love poetry, especially the free and blank verses that employ symbolism and illeism as a technique to convey a deeper meaning. Hiraeth might lack that challenge because it is quite simple to understand yet it has been beautifully compiled. Each poem expresses a longing or a desire to reach closer to what cannot be defined. Touching upon the important themes of love, memories, relationships, betrayal and longing, Hiraeth is a soothing collection that promises to make you reflect in retrospect.

Based on the theory of yin and yang, the natural dualities around us, Hiraeth evokes joy and sorrow; love and hatred! ‘The Hum of My Heart’, ‘Call Me By My Name’, ‘Don’t Erase My Love’ and ‘A Whimsical Ride’ are some of my favourite poems.

Best wishes to the poet!

Buying link: Amazon