Towards an Alternative Indian Poetry

Abstract

One of the debates that has kept literary scholars of the present generation engaged and has ample implication for teaching pedagogy is the problem of canon-formation in Indian English poetry. One of the ways in which such canon-making operates is through the compilation, use and importance of anthologies. Anthology making is a conscious political act that sanctions a poet or poem its literary status. It has given rise to the publication of numerous anthologies in the Indian scenario and in the recent decades we have witnessed the emergence of a handful of alternative anthologies.

Anthologies in general remain compact; they are convenient and often less expensive than purchasing separate texts. Those are some of the reasons for their popularity. However, as the case has been, inclusion of a poet or poem is hardly an innocent phenomenon. We have witnessed that canonical anthologies in India are exclusive about their selection of poets and poems, and in most cases the editor’s profession remains central to anthology making. Hence, there is a need to address the issue of anthology making in Indian scenario that decides the future of poetry/poets in India. This paper explores the historiography of anthology making in India in the light of the great Indian language debate put forward by Buddhadeva Bose. It also highlights that there a significant transition in the subject of canon-formation at the turn of the century with the rise of an alternative canon. The politics of inclusion and exclusion—of anthologizing and publishing Indian English poetry—will be central to the discussion of anthologizing alternative Indian English poetry