Q. You have tried to incorporate all virtuous concepts of humanity enunciated by Vedic seers to Syeds, can your prayer for your grandson be taken as a clarion call to the budding humanity to tread a path of peaceful co-existence?
We should not forget the glorious land of Vedic love and epical grandeur; and we should be rooted in our pluralistic culture that vibrates 'Satyam IShivam! Sundaram!' and the infinite cosmic confluence of 'Anhal Haq! Aham Brahman! Nirvana!'
We do believe in sharing and peaceful existence as it is enshrined in the mellowed message: share joy, share sorrow and share Nature. I have named my grandson Ameen to symbolize peace everywhere.
We are hearing the echoes of humanity from time immemorial - i.e.
'Sarvejana-Hitaya! Sarva Jana- Sukhaya! Serve api Sukhinaha Santa! Ma kaschit dukha bhavet!

Q. Your have highly subjective poetry which is commented to be lyrical comparable with Kalidasa and Khalil Gibran, what do you say? about your controversial poem 'New Love' ?
There is multiplicity of facets of love; my love is rooted in the ancient Indian ethos; yet I am a happy modernist and I strive to bridge the gulf between the rich Indian classical values and the exuberant new Indian consciousness. I am a typical Indian poet rooted in Indian sensibility.

Q. The use of metaphorical references is highlight but these are soaked in Indian culture and ethos; is it expression of composite culture or the confluence ofcultural heritage of India?
We live in a world which believes in distorted truth and which welcomes duality and non-clarity, vagueness and complexity in everything. The age old values of clarity, directness and simplicity have lsot their meaning. Religion, tradition and other age-old values have troubled enough the mind of modern man. He wants total change; whether it is for good or bad, that is altogether a different question. Modern man wants to encounter life on the basis of his own experience. He wants to give free vent to his spirit to derive his own pleasure. He wants to evaluate life on the basis of his personal experience to find new meanings, new expressions and fresh solutions.

Q. Complexities and contradictions make a web of its own in the poems especially which are born out of real situations and your encounters with realism; is it making humanity meek and redundant floating in the backwaters ofdilemma?
Modern sensibility is considerably influenced by the existentialists, realists, neo-realists and surrealists. In my poem 'A Lover' and 'A wanderer' I have incorporated the existentialist mental crisis and view of life, which is entirely against the sham and seeming reality of life which we are forced to believe.
Modern man is caught in a web of contradictions and complexes. This is because he is torn between the hypocritical life which he is forced to live and the real spirit in him which he recognizes the realities of life. The society is so cruel and powerful that it does not allow him to slip out of the shackles of set values, which are simply a hoax.
The result is big dilemma, a mental crisis in the individual, who is unable to decide what course exactly he has to take. Thus, the man becomes meek, silent and lacks initiative in the positive direction, because he is caught in a web of contradictions and complexes created by his free spirit and the artificial society around hum. His inability to balance the contradictions of life troubles him and creates crisis in the society.

Q. Symbolism in your poetry and subtle suggestive streaks beautify your complex poetics, is it spontaneous or a result of thoughtful poetic processing churning ornamental verses?
Yes! All my poems are suggestive and highly symbolic. Of course, my poetry is a spontaneous creation of my inner feelings. Creativity to me is simple and sudden. All of a sudden, in a particular moment, restlessness sets in. The result is a poem.
A good poem must have complexity of thought. It must evoke a kind of curiosity, an element of wonder, a kind of thrill and a sense of novelty and freshness in the minds of its readers. It must have a certain element of vagueness and must be suggestive through its well conceived visual images- and not only bald words and direct narration.

Q. There is a blend of thought of the East and West in your poetry; the romanticism of the West and the scenario of the East sets in the cradle to sprout and swing buds of poetry, do you have multi¬dimensional landscape to paint images, symbols, suggestive iconic figuration to suggest formation of composite cultural coherence in the society?
My favourite writers are Shelley and Keats, Tagore and Iqbal, Eliot and Yeats, Auden and Kalidasa. I was very much influenced by them in my formative days. As most of the Indo-Anglican poets are influenced excessively by Western thought and modern English poetry, they give expression to Indian life in the light of the latest trends and techniques evolved by their counterparts in the west. Thus their visual frontiers are deep and vast and their perception of things multi-dimensional. This seems to me the most distinctive feature of modern Indo-Anglican poetry.
Poet is like a Gypsy, who wishes to go around the world to quench his thirst like a storm:
"And flooding rivers ran through us
To meet at a calm confluence.
I m ust wander, I must wander,
There is storm in my soul."

Q. Your idea of humanity and mankind has manifested to be despondent, is it your disenchantment with the real world and its cruel hypocritical behaviour?
Humanity has a remedial laughter in the face of the inevitable, weapon of smile in the face of looming death,.arm of Truthfulness to be fearless and free but in reality 'to be human is inhuman today; and to be inhuman is human today. That sums up the mysterious world of today.

Q. Your poetic symbolism and nuances pronouncing composite cultural coherence and existential harmony finally attain Nirvana and Moksha- the deliverance; which seems to be your ultimate destination in thought, do you believe in Almighty or the Absolute Truth which governs the universe?
The degeneration of human beings, loss of human values and virtues, demoniac deeds, terror and fear accompanied by natural disasters, the historical catastrophes, necessitate the 'Deliverance' of mankind as 'despair' appears but finally 'hope' overcomes gloomy atmosphere.
The resplendent radiance
Of Ever after and Hereafter-
The realization of Supreme fulfillment-
The Moksha! The Magfirat! The Nirvan!
The blow of "Soor"! The Drumbeat! The Shriek of Shankh!
Deliverance! Deliverance! Deliverance!
Prof. Syed Ameruddin - is a Founder President of International Poets Academy, reside at 5, Mohamed Hussain Khan Lane, Royapettah, Chennai. email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.