Soul Call – of Love and More is a tribute by Dimple Kaul to the poetess, Elizabeth Barnett Browning. Dimple writes, Many Years Ago, I chanced upon her How do I love thee?. It resonated with me. Made me ponder over the emotions beneath those words.
For our reader’s advantage, let us first understand who Elizabeth Barrett Browning was. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent English poets of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime.
Elizabeth started writing poetry from the age of six. At 15, she became very ill an illness which contributed to her weak health and possibly, also contributed to hear death in June 1860, at the age of 55. Elizabeth was introduced to literature by her cousin John Kenyon, who is now known as a patron to Robert Browning.
Elizabeth’s volume titled Poems brought her great success, attracting the admiration of then already famous writer Robert Browning. The couple’s correspondence and their courtship is indeed, very well-known. However, her most poem can be thought to be, How do I love Thee?.
This poem is also the source of inspiration for our Author and poetess Dimple Kaul. She notes that, this was the poem which made her into an ardent admirer of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
It is noteworthy that, in spite of having a busy schedule writing articles on politics, society and history she has written down twenty poems on the topic of Love.These poems describe the entire range of emotions, a person feels when they are in love. A short description of the poems is given below:-
- I love you is about the love a person feels for their beloved and a promise to maintain that love till their death
- You and I and What is love is the feeling that two people in love have that their physical presence is not necessary, only their knowledge is enough
- True Love,Your Love & Measuring Loveprogress the theme that when love is present, there is no space for material riches.
- How do I love you and How different is our loveexpress nearly the same idea that there is no measure of true love.
- No Time and Mirage bring out the disappointment a person feels when they feel disillusioned in love.
- Enlisting Injuries and Farewell are poignant they are about the hurt caused by one person to the other and goodbyes being exchanged between the two.
- Separation and Memory are about the aftermath of the break up. Though expressed in simple words, it is very heart-wrenching. Easily the two best couplets in the collection.
- An Affair To remember tells us about the hope one experiences, when one meets some one new after going through a tumultuous relationship.
- For Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a tribute to Browning and tries to reminisce how the courtship between Barrett Browning and Robert Browning might have been.
- Love and Light is some-what cynical towards love.
- The booklet ends with Soulmate, Knowing Love and Know this about love end on an optimistic note.
The book is short and makes for easy reading. Also, much credit goes to the Poetess, Dimple Kaul for making us experience in a short time frame the crests and troughs one experiences when in love.
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