WHAT is female poetry and does it exist as an independent genre?
In terms of form, there are probably no differences between the poems written by men and women. But in terms of the topics covered, yes.
The poetesses have their own, special view of the world. They are more sensitive to injustice, evil and betrayal.
At the same time, female poets are in no way inferior to men in terms of talent and expressiveness. Their style is original and inimitable.
Russian literature shows us many examples of this. Suffice it to recall Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) or Marina Tsvetaeva (1892-1941), whose poetry is full of nobility, love, pride and faith in the triumph of good over evil.
For example, in Anna Akhmatova's poem "You thought I was that type", we see the emotional response of a proud woman to a man's betrayal.
You thought I was that type:
That you could forget me,
And that I'd plead and weep
And throw myself under the hooves of a bay mare,
Or that I'd ask the sorcerers
For some magic potion made from roots and send you a terrible gift:
My precious perfumed handkerchief.
Damn you! I will not grant your cursed soul
Vicarious tears or a single glance.
And I swear to you by the garden of the angels,
I swear by the miracle-working icon,
And by the fire and smoke of our nights:
I will never come back to you.
The modern Russian writer, Viktoria Tokareva, speaking on this topic, notes that in literature it is not gender that matters, but the degree of sincerity and talent.
"What is sincerity is understandable. And what is talent... I don't know for sure, but I can guess. This is when, during work, you are enveloped in light and joyful energy.
"Then this energy is transferred to those who read. If the writer is not talented, but simply hardworking, nothing is transmitted from his pages, except perhaps a headache."
She, nevertheless, agrees that "yes, women's literature exists". A man in his work focuses on God. And a woman on a man.
But as a rule, the object of love does not correspond to the ideal. And then the woman suffers and writes about it. The main theme of women's creativity is about "longing for the ideal".
At present, women's poetry is becoming more visible, including in Malaysia, and the collection 'Flowers of Distant Shores' with poems by 38 Malay poetesses, recently published in Russia, fully reflects this.
A woman is both a strong and a weak personality, and this factor only proves her uniqueness, because it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to tell others her current fate. And, she still finds the strength in herself to move on, despite the failures.
Each has her own destiny, her own inner potential, is a mother and wife. Each strives to make this world a better place, giving it inspiration and making adjustments to the future.
It was a great pleasure for me and my daughter, Anna, to translate into Russian the poems of Malay poetesses, which are considered the best in modern Malaysian literature.
Among them are such authoritative figures as Zurinah Hassan, Siti Zainon Ismail, Siti Zaleha M. Hashim, Sri Diah Shaharuddin, Norazimah Abu Bakar, Aminah Mokhtar and also poetesses of the younger generation.
We have not forgotten the Tamil poetess writing in Malay. They expressed their experiences and dreams through wonderful creations that touch the soul of the reader.
Poems written by Malay poetesses evoke a storm of emotions and sensations. Each of them knows how to express their experiences and dreams through unique creations that touch the soul of the reader.
It is impossible to imagine the poetry of Malaysia without the soulfulness and sincerity of the Malay poetesses.
The writer, writing from Russia, is a former lecturer of Universiti Malaya
