Kamala Das: The Mother of Confessional Poetry in India

History has repeatedly shown how the position of women in society has been ever-tumultuous. However, every once in a while, we come across someone who is unafraid and unabashed in expressing their thoughts and minds. Kamala Das, or Madhavikutty, is one such figure who broke literary boundaries and embraced what would famously be called 'confessional poetry' as an outlet to tell her own story.

The pioneer of confessional poetry in India, source: DailyFT

Perhaps it is a curse on women to feel so much, have little agency to say it out loud, and be understood even more rarely. Women have globally been prevented from speaking their inner thoughts so often that they’re vilified if they do. The genre of confessional poetry arises from this need for women to express themselves, speak their minds, and open up their feelings to society, irrespective of how they are received.

Among the well-known figures of Indian writing in English, Kamala Das stands out as one of the first confessional poets in India. Much like the standard treatment of women and their work during the 20th century, her poems were met with a lot of criticism. The boldness of her identity as a poet and writer and her views against the prominent patriarchy was already scandalous for her time, but it was the sheer power of her sexuality that triggered conservative readers. Poetry as a genre has remained a very masculine discipline to master; however, Kamala Das feminizes it by introducing a vulnerability without pretense that gives her confessional poems a raw freshness during a time when originality was hard to come by.

Why confessional poetry? Confessions require strength of will and honesty of spirit; it is not something that can be done by everyone. Women in Indian society have had little to no outlet for expression even till the last few decades and poetry is just one way for them to be their selves without the pressure to be somebody’s mother, daughter, or wife. In this way, confessional poetry not only becomes women-centric but also challenges all the norms of expression that patriarchy holds against women.

Much like what her genre of excellence stands for freedom, originality, and personal voice, Kamla’s own life is a narration of how she found herself, and it greatly reflects in her works. Born and raised as a Madhavikutty in Kerala, married off to a man several times older than her, converted to Islam, and becoming the Kamala Das we know today, her life has surely been tumultuous, but that did not drive her away from speaking with brutal honesty.

Das herself has never shied away from discussing themes of gender struggle, subjugation of oneself under patriarchy, an unsatisfactory sex life, mental health, and many more. The diversity in her ventures and her likeliness for variation gave us pieces like ‘The Maggots', with its immense pressure of yearning and marriage, ‘The Stone Age’ where she openly discusses an unsatisfactory sex life; and even ‘The Looking Glass', which celebrates the female body and her sexuality. The genre of confessional poetry has allowed the discussion of these themes in a healthier manner as compared to the vulgar imagery that most male poets go for. Everything from the female perspective simply looks fantastic, including poetry.

Confessional poetry had previously only been seen in the writings of Robert Lowell’s ‘Life Studies’ and, more popularly, in the American writer, Sylvia Plath’s works. In India, it is through Kamala Das and others like Mamata Kalia that confessional poetry has found new grounds to flourish. Considering how this genre discusses taboo topics deemed unfit for public reading, it was shocking for readers during the more reserved era of Indian-English literature. This was largely presented as an obstacle to the popularity that confessional poetry could have achieved, but it also prepared the public for more drastic forms of writing in literature.

Once we read her works, we realize the pedestal that women are put on. From being glorified to vilified, Kamala has seen it all. She has learned to weaponize her gender, its blessings and curses, and now bends them to her will. Her treatment of the art of poetry is no different. She has felt the bounds of society, which has tried to harness her along with her talent, she says:

"Like other women writers in my class, I am expected to tame my talent to suit the comfort of my family".

She is a woman who has always worked against what the world ‘expects’ of her; she finds the true source of power in being liberated from judgment simply by choosing to. Hers is a legacy that encourages women to not walk but sprint towards their freedom of mind, body, and soul.