Dr.Prem Varma Featured World Poet from India!

Dr. Prem Varma born as Prem Lata Nagpal, had her education in Delhi and Calcutta. Her schooling was at the Presentation Convent in Delhi. But she did her graduation from Calcutta. She went back to Delhi for her Masters where she got the second position in the University.  Her Ph.D is from Canada from the University of Ottawa when she accompanied her husband on a posting in1975. She did pioneering work in Canadian literature at a time when Canada was still discovering its writers and taking stock of its literature. The subject of her dissertation was ‘The Life And Works of Robert Stead’.

It was in Canada that the desire to write was reborn and she started writing not only her term papers but also other interesting papers. Oncoming back to Delhi she continued her involvement with writing and produced a large body of work during her two years stay in Delhi (1981-82).Her articles were being published both at home and abroad.

Her husband, Kailash Varma , was in the Foreign services and she was off again on a posting. This time it was to Kathmandu. Since she had been teaching ever since 1961. When she had recieved her M.A ,she was offered a professorship at Tribhuvan University which she accepted. But her job in Delhi was clamoring to have her back so she came back after one year.

Most of her published work is in the form of articles both literary and non literary poems, and short stories published in various journal.

Her book The Ancient Mariner: A Critical Appreciation is a collections of essays written by her on various aspects of the poem. Theatre Words : A Dictionary is another much acclaimed reference book on theatre vocabulary. This book had its stupendous attraction in the market and was enormously acclaimed by the critics through commendation of the works done by her.

Glimmer In The Dark is a collection of her poems published in 2003. She has poured out her emotions in her poems in the memory of her late husband Kailash Varma, who had in his life time entertained lot many readers through his thoughtful and succinct poems.

Poems by Dr. Prem Varma:

  Mumbai 7. 11.

The images flashed–
trains ripped apart
mangled bodies
headless torsos
and severed limbs;
blood-soaked platforms
strewn with wallets and IDs;
a handbag pouring out its heart
a chappal waiting for its wearer.

We gazed and gazed
forgetting to breathe, asking
‘Is this the apocalypse?
Or some holocaust?’

fear turned to dread and in despair
we invoked God’s name
but the heavens looked on impassively
as rain and darkness covered the horrific sight.

Joined at the Root

Like two gaunt trees
gnarled and twisted
with decrepit age
they sit beside each other
brooding on thoughts
they cannot share,
forgetting the memories
of love and joy
that bind their roots
and make them one.

Dr. Prem Varma (C)