Intersectionality in Contemporary Indian Women’s Poetry: Exploring the Complexity of Identity and Experience

Abstract

Recent poetry written by Indian women has begun to focus on the ways in which categories like race, class, caste, gender and sexual orientation come together to affect the individual realities of women. The paper explores how Indian women poets employ poetry to examine the intricacies of identity and redefine the conventional discourse of feminism. The paper explores how race, gender, class, sexuality and caste intersect in the work of modern Indian women poets, thus transforming notions of feminism in the country. It is argued that the use of methods like free verse, spoken word and performance poetry enables contemporary Indian women poets to explore intersections of identity and articulate them in ways attuned to the dynamic changes taking place in India. Six notable poets are featured in the study whose poems explore these intersections and expand perspectives on identity and social justice in India.