TV Reddy, a Famous Indo-English Poet

 

TV Reddy, a famous Indo-English poet from Tirupati, passed away this morning between 6am and 7am at Ruia Hospital (26.08.2020). He is a distinguished poet renowned for his depictions of rural scenes, social criticism, satire, and irony. Unlike other poets engrossed in the atmosphere of metropolitan cities, he holds a permanent place as a rural poet by portraying rural life. His poetry has been marginalized and is not thoroughly interpreted, failing to secure a place in critical anthologies.  

T. Vasudeva Reddy, popularly known as T.V. Reddy, established himself as a leading voice in the realm of Indo-English poetry. He is prominent among the post-1980 generation of poets. Over three decades of his poetic career, he has produced eight poetry collections. His poetry is a perfect blend of romanticism and realism, embodying both romantic and pragmatic elements. Rather than eulogizing nature's beauty, his poetry presents the realities of life. Human struggles, unrest, social realities, and psychological and humanistic issues are the prime themes of his work. He does not align himself with any specific creed or school of poetry. In short, he is a poet of originality. To him, a poem should offer pleasure, as that is the primary function of poetry.

His poetry mirrors the pleasures and horrors of nature, which constitute an integral part of life. His poems celebrate nature's beauty, harmony, joy, and the crude realities of life. He is attentive to diction, which brings a high musical quality to his poetry. His work is marked by striking imagery and a satiric vision that heightens the effect of irony. Thus, Nissim Ezekiel rightly states that ‘like a gifted sculptor he chisels his poems with the deftness of a master craftsman’.

 Poetry collections 

• The Rural Muse: The Poetry of T. Vasudeva Reddy (2014), ed by K. V. Raghupathi, Authors Press, New Delhi, India

• Golden Veil[5] (2016), Authors Press, New Delhi, India

• Thousand Haiku Pearls[6] (2016), Authors Press, New Delhi, India

 Novels 

• The Vultures (1983), Calcutta, India

• Minor Gods (2008), New York City, United States

 Criticism 

• Jane Austen: The Dialectics of Self-Actualization in her Novels (1987), Sterling, New Delhi, India

• Jane Austen: The Matrix of Matrimony (1987), Bohra Publication, Jaipur, India

• A Critical Survey of Indo-English Poetry[7] (2016), Authors Press, New Delhi,India

 Awards and Honours 

In recognition of his achievements Professor Reddy has received several prestigious awards and honours, among them:

• ‘The International Eminent Poet’ in 1987;

• Hon. D.Litt. from the WORLD ACADEMY OF ARTS AND CULTURESan Francisco, United States in 1988;

• Best Teacher Award (Univ.& College Level) from the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, India, in 1990;

• Best poetry Award for his third book, The Fleeting Bubbles, from the Michael Madhusudan Academy, Kolkata, in 1994;

• UGC (University Grants Commission)Award of National Fellowship (as Visiting Prof.) in 1998 ;

• Award of ‘Excellence in World Poetry’ for the year 2009;

 Primary Sources:       

1. Reddy, T.V. When Grief Rains, New Delhi, Samakaleen Pubs., 1982.

2. Reddy, T.V. The Broken Rhythms, Madras, Poets Press, 1987.

3. Reddy, T.V. The Fleeting Bubbles, Madras, Poets Press, 1989.

4. Reddy, T.V. Melting Melodies, Madras, Poets Press, 1994.

5. Reddy, T.V. Pensive Memories, Madras, Poets Press, 2005.

6. Reddy, T.V. Gliding Ripples, U.S.A., Baltimore, Pub. America, 2008.

7. Reddy, T.V. Echoes, New Delhi, Authors Press, 2012.

8. Reddy, T.V. Blighted Lights, (A Minor Social Epic) N. Delhi, Authors  

 Press, 2012.

 Secondary Sources:    

1. Venkatachari, K. “Satire in the poetry of T. V. Reddy’s Poetry, Poetcrit, Jan. 1997.

2. Venkataramana, R. “T.V. Reddy, the Poet: the true son of Indian Villages” Labyrinth,        

a. vol. No. 3-3 July, 2012.

3. Raghupathi. K.V. “Poetics of Marginaised Voices in Indian English Poetry”, Writers, Editors, Critics, Vol.1 No.1 March, 2011.

 Review of Literature: 

1. Raghupathi, K.V. The Rural Muse: The Poetry of T. Vasudeva Reddy, Authors Press, 2014.

2. Raghupathi, K.V.   Brave New Wave: 21 Indian English Poets, Jaipur: Book Enclave, 2009.pp.146-162 

3. Raghupathi, K.V   . “Rural Scenes and Characters in T.V. Reddy’s Poetry”, Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Indian Poetry in   English(ed), K.V. Dominic, New Delhi, Authors Press, 2012