Lipogram poems book released

Hyderabad: ‘A World Without It’, a collection of 32 poems by Dr Bhuvan Anand Rout, was launched at Lamakaan Cultural Centre on Sunday. The book is a poignant tribute to the writer’s niece, Sanghamitra, whose life was cut short at the age of 32, just as it was beginning to bloom.

What makes the work particularly distinctive is its form. Written in the challenging lipogrammatic style, the poems entirely omit the letter “e” — a bold constraint in English, where the letter accounts for nearly 12.7% of usage. Dr Rout, a Professor of Economics, described the effort as both a creative experiment and a personal challenge.

“There is very little work in this genre. I wanted to push my limits. Just as there is beauty in adding, there is also beauty in subtracting. The charm of the English language needs to be explored,” he said.

Despite the structural constraint, the poems retain emotional depth and lyrical quality. The closing lines of a poem dedicated to Sanghamitra, who passed away due to alleged medical negligence, capture a quiet sense of loss:

A visit so short, no loud alarm,

No hurt so small, no sign of harm.

With trust so blind, to aid you grow,

With full of skill that didn’t show.

A fault did grow, a tool was wrong,

A song of light, but not for long.

Another poem, Zoo Park, reflects on the shared instincts of humans and animals, drawing parallels between behaviour in the wild and in society:

A lion roars in a boardroom hall,

With bold command and lofty call.

A king by instinct, and not by mark—

All world is nothing but a zoo park.

Through vivid imagery — from the cunning fox to the strategic cat and the persevering rat — the poem underscores the diversity of traits that define both animals and humans.

Dr Rout summed up his philosophy, saying, “Never judge anyone — only in diversity is there beauty, and in beauty, diversity.”

The book is available on Amazon