These days we are writing more about poetry than poetry itself. When we talk about poetry a number of vague ideas occur in people’s mind. A few days back while reading an Indian poet I happened to read a few comments on poetry. A comment made on the death of poetry has really provoked me to write about poetry. This is an exasperating comment the poet Mudrarakshas made many years back in 1967 - he claimed that poetry is no more, it has died. When I read this comment after 40 years I still strongly feel the presence of poetry. I remember that a few years back there was a fear that technology will kill poetry completely, but I sincerely feel that we are closer to each other due to technology in the field of poetry. I see a number of sites for poetry and among them some are exceptional. Moreover, now it is easier to read poetry of different languages compare to past years.

The poet Mudrarakshas had reflected that poetry can be as popular as religion, it can motivate common man. Forty years after the statement of this idea, I feel that things are now stronger than ever in favor of religion. We find that religions are becoming more and more powerful in society; sometimes I feel that it is becoming fashionable to be religious these days. But poetry never opposes religions. In fact, in India a number of religions flourished on poetry. Sometimes these religious books are excellent poetic pieces. But poetry never promotes blind faith or rigidness which takes us away from humanity.

There is no doubt that in modern times, poetry does not enjoy the same power it had in ancient times. But is this true of poetry alone? So many other streams of knowledge are passing through the same experience. In the contemporary world, money power is stronger than knowledge. Naturally poetry cannot win the material race since it depends on the emotional planet.

We can relax that poetry is not in the present day material race; or else we will not have anything on which we could rely. So one need not worry about the so called death of poetry. As long as we have the capacity to feel, poetry will live. Until poetry lives we will too.

In this issue we have again come to you with some very good poetry. We are trying to get the rhythm and feelings of different languages, like this time we have Hebrew poems in Editors Choice, and in the section Our Masters, we will be reading poems of the Saint Poet Namdeva. The present issue of Kritya has the review of Bobby Lurie’s poetry book in the section In the Name of Poetry. Enjoy a taste of good poems in the section- Poetry in Our Time.
The paintings we have depicted are ancient Chinese paintings, and the beautiful black and white pictures taken by an eleven year old artist Koustubh.
This issue is to celebrate a worthy life for poetry.

Rati Saxena