ARA Review by Lacynda Mathes of The Onam Rhyme and Other Passages from Time, (American Edition)

[Lacynda Mathes]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Onam Rhyme and Other Passages from Time, (American Edition).]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Onam Rhyme and Other Passages from Time is a book of poetry by Biju Vasudevan. Through the medium of what he calls "traditional" English poetry., which means iambic pentameter for the most part, but can also refer to villanelles.

The poet's English grammar is...challenging. There are question marks where there is no question, double negatives, verb tense issues, etc. throughout.

But the poems have moments of pure brilliance that transcend the problems with incorrect punctuation and other grammatical errors. The imagery and insight will shine through in a stanza that redeems the entire poem.

Additionally, the insight this collection presents to me, an outsider with zero experience of the poet's culture, is invaluable. Throughout the collection, Vasudevan prefaces his poems with explanations that give relevance to the cultural subject of the poem that follows. It's a great education into a different culture and life experience for those who approach his work, as I did, as an outsider looking in and open to learning.

This is an amazing collection. Sad, tragic poignant, joyful, faithful, devout, and celebratory poems await/

I gladly give it 5 stars out of 5 and offer thanks for the glimpse inside the poet's soul.

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