City lad releases his fantasy poetry book

NAGPUR: Shriyash Kokate’s book of poetry ‘On The Seashore’ was released at Sarvodaya Ashram, Dharampeth, on July 17. The event was presided by OBC Mahasangh’s National convener principal Dr Babanrao Taywade. Mathematician TM Karde, poet Loknath Yashwant, critic Dr Ratna Bhalekar and principal Dr Sharyu Taywade were present at the event. Kokate, 24, recently finished his MA in English Literature from Dhanwatey National College.
Babanrao said, “To get a book on English poems published at such a young age is undoubtedly commendable.Nowadays youngsters only aspire to become a doctor or an engineer, but Kokate has selected literature as his field. He has set an example for his generation.”
Kokate’s book comprises one long poem, divided into 64 parts. It is based on a poet’s fantasy of talking to a mermaid.
Yashwant spoke about his own poetic journey in an interesting manner, and said that poetry gave him an eye to look at things in a different way. Only poetry, in true sense, makes a man rich and gives him happiness, he said.
The main speech was given by Dr Balekar, who said that the poems started with the subject of the poet himself and later poems further expanded horizons, showing Kokate’s maturity.He compared Kokate’s poems to those of Matthew Arnold and Rabindranath Tagore. These poems shower love on lives and keeps hopes alive, he said.
Einstein Foundation’s Dr Karde gave his best wishes for the success of the book. “Simple symbols in the poem display lots of meaning,” he said, adding that the poems were an intense conversation between the poet and nature.