The Blue Studio Koushik Krishnan

John Milton ranks as one the greatest English poets. He stands alongside Shakespeare in impact and fame. He is famous for composing the epic poem “Paradise Lost” in which he dramatizes the original sin – man’s first act of disobedience. But Paradise lost is about 10,000 lines long, and that is not what I’ll present now.

Instead, I would like to present a lovely sonnet called “On his blindness”. At the age of 48, while still in his prime, Milton lost his eyesight. For a wordsmith this was akin to death. He was angry, upset and greatly frustrated. His faith in God was severely tested. “How can I serve God, if he takes away my light”, he lamented. He had only run half the race. How could he go about the other half when he most needed his sight? But in the space of the fourteen lines of the sonnet, he reaches realization and acceptance. He understands God does not need his service. But he also realizes, his destiny is to serve God.

On his blindness

When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Does God exact day-labour, light denied?"
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: "God does not need
Either man's work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."

H. H. Munro, writing under the pen name "Saki" is an acclaimed master of the short stories. He is known for his sharp wit, great command over the language and fondness for themes that are dark, macabre and satirical. He was the inspiration for later writers like P.G. Wodehouse. 
In this episode, Kavya and Koushik discuss the writers works, what makes him special and a few passages from some of his famous stories. 

It is May 2021. A little over a year since Covid hit us. Thousands have lost their lives, struggling for something as basic as oxygen. It is also a little over a year, George Floyd died, struggling for oxygen…. And I can’t help seeing the connection.

This 2 min poem is my attempt to connect the twin horrors of racism and a rampant epidemic


Many a man was hit by the virus, 
Many a black was hurt in the US. 
Poison spread like smokey wreath
Many a man gasped, “I can’t breathe”!

Here’s a story of a woman infected,
Rushed to a hospital much affected 
She was convinced, it was a sin, 
For a black to administer vaccine!

Refusing a hand that offered cure
She went  in search of someone pure
Poison spread like smokey wreath,
Her family gasped, “We can’t breathe” !

The arc of justice can be long, 
It takes a while to right a wrong,
For the deadly virus there is cure
But a bigoted heart is seldom never pure

- Koushik Krishnan

“The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry”. This line from a Robert Burns poem, is one of the most popular quotes in the English language.

In this poem, Burns describes a situation where he accidentally destroys the nest of a farm mouse while ploughing his land. He is greatly saddened by this act and feels repentant. He realizes the mouse had built the nest to survive the harsh winter. He then muses “the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry”. The poem is rich with moral philosophy, metaphysics and contemplation.

Bazaars of Hyderabad is a poem composed by Sarojini Naidu. She was one of the early Indian writers in the English language. She was an active member of the Indian freedom struggle. She was rightly called the “Nightingale of India because of voice and her lyrical poems. In this poem she captures the vibrance, color, sounds and sights of a bazaar in Hyderabad!

Not all poems are sad or serious. They can be funny and nonsensical too! They could have animals come to life.