Islands in the Stream is a collection of 48 poems breathing with life on paper by Sonal Singh. The book is already creating waves and has won third place in The Poetic Caesura Awards. Islands in the Stream has been published by Authorspress and the cover of the book looks resplendent with gleaming shades of different hues on water. In fact, the title of the book and the cover picture complement each other very well. They not only lure the readers to peek into the hidden treasures inside but also hint to the peaceful content that they are going explore.
The book has been divided into two sections titled Nature’s Rhapsody and Life’s Foibles. As the title suggests the first part of the book contains poems that brings the universal elements of nature alive. While the second part of the book talks about human nature, memories and desires. The author has meticulously opened the Nature’s Rhapsody by quoting Lord Byron and Life’s Foibles by quoting Langston Hughes.
Flipping through the pages of her debut book readers can feel the Breezes… making your skin prickle. She brings into life all the elements by the delicate use of words. Any poem you pick to read, be it on the morning, the moon, the firefly, the rain, the sunflower or the frost, you cannot escape the ethereal touch the author lends to the poems. Each word creates a vivid imagery of the nature in such a way that the readers find themselves in the lap of the mother nature.
It is difficult for me to say which one of hers is my favourite. As I read through A Languid Morning followed by An Ode to the Night, Eos’s Sojourn, Nights and Days… till the last in the series each captivated my heart with its rich vocabulary and imagery.
The poems from the Life’s Foibles makes the readers sink deep into sea of emotions humans carry. Sonal Singh has very gently touched all the emotional cords. In fact, the very first poem in this section is titled Islands in the Stream from where the author has derived the name of the book is a masterpiece and philosophical in nature. Her poems are full of optimism and cheerfulness. Even the ones that muse over the gravitas of life leave the reader with an uplifting spirit. The highs and lows of human emotions are well penned by the poet.
The striking feature of her poetry is that each poem is a muse that can be savoured by the readers. The poems leave an impression in the mind that lingers and makes the readers come back to it again and again. The rich vocabulary may at times compel the readers to open dictionary to grasp the meaning of the word and thus leaving them enriched with new words and their usage.
The poet has effortlessly written poems on several styles, from couplets to free verse in Islands in the Stream. The book is a treat for literature lovers and a must have for the ones who love poetry. She captures the heart of the readers by the sheer use of words.
As Sonal Singh says ‘Poetry is more than the interplay of the words rhythm woven into a pattern.’ She definitely lives up to her words and present a flawless collection of poems that the readers can delightfully relish at their pace.
For Sonal Singh it seems writing is in her very being, for she breathes poetry effortlessly. Her words transport the readers to the place she wants to take and conjures up the imagery she wants to show. Poetry flows like a river though her pen and finds way to the readers’ heart. The cool and refreshing waters from the Islands in the Stream are definitely going to soothe the hearts of the readers!
Review by Associate Editor: Shristee Singh ( Chrysanthemum Chronicles)
Sonal is a multiple award winning blogger and writer. She is passionate about writing and is a contributor to several online literary forums and platforms. Her poems and stories have been published in several anthologies.
She is the recipient of Asian Literary Society’s Gitesh Biva memorial award for 2019 and the Prasanna Jena memorial award for 2019, for literary excellence. She is also the recipient of the Orange Flower Award for Parent Blogging for 2020. In Feb 2020 she was awarded a certificate of literary excellence by the Asian Literary Society. In 2021 she was a runner-up in the Orange Flower Awards for writing in two categories – LGBTQ+ awareness and Health and Fitness. In 2021 she also won the ‘Best blogger’ award from Asian Literary Society and was awarded the ‘Woman achiever award’ also by the Asian Literary Society.
Sonal released her first solo book, a volume of poetry titled ‘islands in the stream’ in 2021 for which she was awarded as one of India’s top 100 emerging authors.
Social media links
Websites – www.rianplacements.com and www.ononalstable.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sonal.singh.thakur/
Instagram- @Sonal31Singh and @On_Sonals-Table
Twitter – SonalSingh_Rian
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/OnSonalsTable
Email – sonal@onsonalstable.com