- Author: Ruqayya Shaheed
- Format: Kindle Edition
- Print Length: 194 pages
- Language: English
Nocturnal Hours by Ruqayya Shaheed is a beautiful poetry collection that speaks for a woman and her remotest emotions. A woman goes through a lot – be it love, societal norms, familial strains, identity crisis, acceptance, communication – throughout her life. This poetry collection makes an honest attempt at gauging the depth of a woman’s life. It effortlessly chronicles her journey from self-inflicted bitterness towards finding healing within herself.
Nocturnal hours are the most important hours, I guess. Although I find them pretty overrated (don’t judge me, okay?), they do hold significance in many lives I know. It is at night when people come face to face with themselves, pondering over the ecstasy, love, and longing. Mostly, people find the night hours to be the most vulnerable hours. As the folks say, one is raw and totally genuine when drowned in the silence of darkness. And the poems of this book are inspired by the author’s love affair with the night hours.
Each poem gives a sneak peek into the life of a woman, more specifically into the life of the author. Through verses, snippets, and micro tales, the author attempts to paint a beautifully dark picture of a woman’s life. The poems trace a female life taking birth, growing up in a patriarchal construct, wading through age-old norms and biases, barely breathing amidst the engulfing darkness, stifling atmosphere, muffled voices, surviving.
Eventually, the poems deliver the message of healing through the pain. You grow through what you go there, right? The book is about gaining strength from the harsh experiences and moving towards the light. The title Nocturnal Hours aptly sum up the content of this book. And trust me, the illustrations are very beautiful. Although a few poems didn’t strike a chord with me, a few others did create a good effect. Nevertheless, if you love poetry, read it.
MY RATING: 3/ 5
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