A budding poet shares her thoughts

Vaishnavi Viswanathan, a 19-year-old college student from the city, has published a collection of poems with the hope of sharing her insights on the myriad experiences that have shaped her. Titled ‘Li

Vaishnavi Viswanathan, a 19-year-old college student from the city, has published a collection of poems with the hope of sharing her insights on the myriad experiences that have shaped her. Titled ‘Lilies of Life,’ the anthology of 42 poems explores themes related to the self and man’s role as a social being. “I have always preferred to express my innermost thoughts through poetry,” Ms. Viswanathan, who is pursuing her final year BA Literature and Language from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetam in Coimbatore, told The Hindu. “All my poems are about me, but they don’t actually speak directly about me. I like poetry because you don’t have to write everything out in detail to be understood,” she added. Currently attending online classes from home in Tiruchi, Ms. Viswanathan said she was excited by the whole process of publishing her work. “It took me two months to put the collection together. The lockdown gave me an opportunity to organise my poems and write some more to round out the anthology. The initial response from my readers has been quite positive; most have remarked on its serious and philosophical tone. But I am open to criticism and honest feedback too, as that is what improves the work of a writer,” she said.