Book Review: For Everything Left Unsaid

Book Name: For Everything Left Unsaid
Author: Uma Shukla

Publication: Rupa

Genre: Poetry

“I am always the echo,
Never the sound that makes people turn.”

For Everything Left Unsaid by Uma Shukla is a heartfelt collection of poems that will make readers question their choices, existence, and being.

It is a collection divided into five themes: Intake, Irregularities, Corroboration, Unfiled Material, and Verdict (Undelivered). Each theme in itself delivers a deep meaning, and so do the well-written poems in each of them. Each section starts with context-setting that describes what the poems in that section are about. The poems differ in length, but what makes them similar is their depth and relatability for the readers.

The writing style of the author is thought-provoking, evocative, and heartwarming. Some poems may make readers smile and find themselves in them, while some might feel heart-wrenching. From raw emotions to deep philosophical understanding, every reader will find something in this collection. The book is accompanied by AI-generated illustrations which do not complement the writing. The writing carries so much depth that the illustrations feel unnecessary and, in some places, take away from the experience rather than adding to it. They are not aligned with the emotional depth of the poems. The poems themselves are stealing the show.

Readers would enjoy reading this book, and it should be read slowly and steadily, inhaling each word so that thoughts can be built around what the author has tried to convey through her words in these poems. While I was reading the poems, I could not stop myself from annotating and pouring in my own thoughts. The book is now not just black and white but colorful because of my notes and feelings about the poems.

This book is an epitome of small yet big. Why am I saying this? Each title starts in lowercase, and every poem is written in lowercase, yet it delivers a deep message and a bigger meaning for everyone who chooses to read this book. The best part for readers who love metaphors is that this book is going to serve you well.

Poems like “it’s all temporary, but maybe that’s not the tragedy,” “i bend where the light never lands: soft enough to refract,” “the sensation of looping,” “proofs of continuity,” and many others are my favorites. Ironically, even when I am writing down my favorites, I feel like, no, no, the other one is more of a favorite. It is the magic of the book. As you read ahead, your favorite will change.

One more thing is that it is a huge collection. Of course, there can be some poems that will feel normal because, as I said, every reader will find something different in this book. Similarly, not every poem is going to make the same impact on every reader.

The more you read it, the more you will feel it.

I will definitely go back to this book, not to read it again but to revisit the annotations and see what difference they make when I read them again in relation to the poems.

If you are someone who feels a little more deeply, you have to read this book. And if you can pair it with a hot coffee or any other hot beverage and a cozy setup, you will thank me later for recommending this book.

Buy From Here: For Everything Left Unsaid

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