Sujata Bhatt is a well-known poet across India, America, and Europe. Being an Indian-born writer, most of her poems are preoccupied with cultural identity. Bhatt has also written several poems touching the theme of immigration and belonging. This can be attributed to her immigration experience she witnessed when along with her family moved to the USA in 1968. One of the poems that feature the subject of immigration and belonging is “Search for My Tongue.” In that poem, Bhatt explores the experiences evidenced by immigrants when they move to a new country. Immigrants face the challenges of adjusting to a new life.
Bhatt’s literary work also explores the empowerment of a girl child to become a strong woman. The poet demonstrates qualities that women need to possess to become strong people in a male-dominated society. In the poem “Muliebrity,” she examines her thoughts concerning a poor girl who used to collect cow-dung on the streets near her home. The girl was not deterred by the bad odor of cow-dung. The statement implores that the girl was strong enough to do her thing audaciously. That poem shows that Bhatt is a writer who advocates for girl child empowerment.
In most poems, Bhatt uses personification and allegory. By doing so, she conveys ideas in a relatable manner. Additionally, she makes her audience react emotionally to non-human characters. Such an example is demonstrated in the poem “Peacock” where she has personified the bird. The imagery and symbolism presented in the poem show that the poet is talking about the beauty of a certain country, possibly, India. Bhatt’s poems are appealing and fascinating.
