13 Untitled and Weird Poems is the maiden poetry collection by noted Indian poet Alok Mishra. The collection contains only 13 poems, as the title gives it away. However, the second, and perhaps the key operative, part in the title tells the readers that the poems they will be reading are going to be weird and also untitled. Untitled poems are something that the readers may have already read so many times before in their life but weird poetry is certainly going to be a new thing for many readers. Weird short stories have been written before and so have been the mysterious and cryptic poems. However, this time, it is coming from an Indian poet. Indian English poetry hasn’t exactly been as productive as the Indian English Novel. Therefore, this is certainly going to be interesting for the readers as well as the critics.

Alok Mishra has been publishing his poems on his blog and also on some other platforms. However, the poems in the collection are very different from all other previously published poems by the poet. The poems are not at all lyrical in terms of pursuing a certain pattern. The poems are also short and intriguing in nature. Some poems are as short as one or just a few words. Isn’t it interesting already? You will love it as it happens.

The nature of the poems is mostly based on hopelessness that the modern world has been pushed into. However, the positivity also comes charging from the behind at times and that looks beautiful. At the same time, the poet also asserts his identity and brigs the religious strength that Hinduism has been having for centuries into play in a few poems to tell the readers that hope is going to be there and things are only ephemeral.

The poems are seemingly different from each other in nature and meaning. However, once you read the collection to the last page and read it again, you will find a strange pattern that connects the entire collection of 13 Untitled and Weird Poems by poet Alok Mishra. There is a silent voice that tells the readers that we are in a phase of transition and we need to have faith in our makers. A few poems also compel us into thinking that these poems by Alok are inspired by Indian culture and values with which we grow up and thus, Indianness in Indian English literature is also met… These lines from poem number 7 give us an idea:

“Death.

Birth.

Smile.

Trust.

Ram.”

The ending lines seemingly suggest the readers that life is a cycle and we need to go through it. However, without having trust in our makes, we cannot move past the line that is there to stop us from reaching the ultimate truth. And then, poem number thirteen is something that many readers will be confused about, for sure. It is just one word and I am not going to reveal that secret to you right here, right now. That is something that you should find out yourself and know more about it.

I am rating this poetry collection by Alok Mishra with 4/5 stars for the stunning job that the poet has done. I have never read anything so mystical in nature and so exciting in tone. Interpretations of the poems keep changing like the value of X in algebra. We can never be sure of what was the certain meaning of the poem I just read and you have a total of 13 poems to reach to the conclusion of your kind… you can get a copy of this poetry collection from Amazon India by clicking the link below:

Buy the book from Amazon India – Click here

Review by a contributor to Intellectual Reader