Monima Chaudhury’s “Manu” Script is ‘her second venture’ that primarily deals with theme of love in all its physical and metaphysical forms.  The book is poetic evidence of the fact that love “Smiles of love, understanding, thought and unity” connect “the people with people”, ‘conscience with conscience’ and ‘hearts with hearts’. In the beginning of her collection, the poetess declares a poetic ‘confession’ that ‘as a person/ as a woman’ whatever she has ‘learned’ or received from people and society, she has ‘poetically’ painted ‘the portraits of/ all those gains/ by the ink of honesty.” (13)

The collection is a mixed bag of light and heavy poems that can give both an understanding and also mild entertainment to the reader. Most of the poems of the collection are short and yet thought provoking and optimistic in tone. The poems titled ‘Togetherness’ (20), ‘Title’ (25), ‘Spouse’ (26), ‘Tyranny’ (30), ‘Inner Voice’ (32), ‘Musk’ (34) (though the correct word should be ‘Mask’) ‘For Whom’ (35), ‘Today’ (36), ‘Compromise’ (39) ‘Comments’ (48) and ‘Beginning’ (49) are based on love and social reality that touch the senses and provoke the thought and emotions. But a few poems like ‘Movement’ (40), ‘Fruitful’ (43), ‘Opportunity’ (46), ‘Very Shallow’ (60), ‘Polythene’ (64), ‘Made for Each Other’ (22), ‘Naptaual Knot’ (though the word should be ‘Nuptial’)  and ‘Blooming Beauty’ (24), ‘Rape’ (62), and ‘Seldom’ (63) lack poetic quality and depth and it seems that the poet has not been very careful towards the revision of her poems and it has soured the taste. However, the poems like ‘Age Old Cage’ (52), ‘Obviously’ (53), ‘Masculine Beauty’ (54), ‘Match’ (55), ‘Ideal Women’ (56), ‘Bound’ (57), ‘Odd Numbers’ (58), and ‘For You My Man’ (67) are deeply reflective poems that establish that Monima is a poet with promise. She can write better if she tries to evolve her writing skill carefully and constantly. Mark the excerpts and enjoy the artistic innocence of the poet:

My books of
Love poems,
Will
always be
Titled by Your name. (Title, 25)  

~*~

Growing inside
The womb
Of confidence,
Love sows
The seeds
Of happiness. (Love, 15)

Monima’s constant involvement with poetic creativity has a bright future because Monima posses a poetic heart and talent which strives to evolve Human Values amidst the ironies and oppressions of time and erosion of higher values. Best wishes for a bright career.

Manu Script (Love Poems) by Monima Chaudhury, New Delhi: Sanbun Publishers