Ten-Headed Ecstasies

• Other Authors: Vyas, Avni (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: English literature; English language
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9111

Abstract The poems in this series seek to relocate Valmiki's Hindu epic The Ramayana to a contemporary, American voice. The confessional tone and the focus on Sita as a primary character seeks to marry the speaker to the epic, to personalize and universalize the transcendent, ages-old story. In a simultaneously productive and destructive vein, reinventing Sita becomes imperative for the primary speaker. She written into her scenery as well as psychology, wondering what has been learned in the years since Sita was swallowed up by the earth; and instead of Indra's bow, our speaker is manhandling a hand-me-down acoustic guitar. The dreams here are palpable: how does one grow out of the earth, into a mountain, along the lip of a heaven-hell, and then return to the earth? What are the metaphorical implications for a new generation of American female poets, for Sita, and for our speaker? These poems seek to explore these questions, but not fully resolve them. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Summer Semester, 2014. === April 2, 2014. === Creative Writing, Poetry === Includes bibliographical references. === David Kirby, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kathleen Erndl, University Representative; Andrew Epstein, Committee Member; Michael Neal, Committee Member.