Nivanka Fernando’s Creativity
 Bittersweet
Serenade is an emblematic title for a collection of poems and
short stories by a youngster in her late teens encompassing the writer’s
bitter and sweet experiences in life. Reading her collection we were
amazed at her creativity for it combines both thought and feeling in
restrained manner.
Let’s take her poems first. There are 45 poems in all. The last 10
poems of these she calls appropriately ‘colours’ (Rose Madder, Cobalt
Blue, Yellow Ochre, Crimson Lake, Hyacinth Violet, Ultramarine, Cerise
Pink, Fuchsia, Bistre, and Viridian)
Let me give my responses to some of her poems.
Carrion
In this poem the analogy of Canopus and Sirtius does not really fit
in as I read the poem. However, she brings in a reality to point out
human failings to understand the humility of a toiler. The end of the
poem is a telling commentary, which I liked.
A mutant mind
Leaving the name to be guessed by the reader the poet is yet clear
what she says in this metaphysical poem. It is profound in a
spiritualistic plane.
Vermillion
This poem too is clearly a good example of young Nivanka’s outlandish
imagination, if one may say it, and in most of her poems she
demonstrates her acquaintance with classical literature.
Most of her poems employ rich figures of speech and her images draw
word pictures
We are told she is a painter too and her bent towards colour in
varied shades illuminate her feelings depicted as an ‘outsider’
Look at the simplicity of the poem while it evokes a feeling of
pleasure through pain.
A simple pleasure.
 Reading
halfway through her collection one could ‘feel’ that she is melancholic
in her state of mind and yet she doesn’t allow the bitterness take the
upper hand as she is positive at the end.
Nivanka Fernando is pursuing a degree in Economics, we are told. That
makes her down to earth with brass materialism.
Creativity is one thing and mundane reality is another. To combine
both with balance is art itself.
Look at this poem. To me it is negative and not reassuring
Red, black and white
It is not possible to fill this column with all her poems, but let us
take one more and this time from the colours section.
Ultramarine
Skin translucent
Hair electric blue
Eyes the colour of the ocean at midday
Features carved by Poseidon
Viewing the world through blue green glasses
I see lips contorting to sound a siren call
When will I see your true form?
I enjoyed this poem for its description and the funny feeling that
comes out of it and the sarcasm at the end.
Short Stories
Leaving her poems at this point let’s see how she fares as a short
story writer. There are five in this 84page book published by Vijitha
Yapa Publishers.
The first story ‘Childlike’ (as opposed to ‘Childish’) is fairly long
and combines both first person and third person narrative. The writer is
strongly influenced by nature and the supernatural. Both in her poems
and prose she is a Romantic in the Keatsian sense and has a fancy for
phantasmagoria. She is a matured writer for an adolescent.
“An old- fashioned love letter” is a very short enjoyable writing. I
must congratulate the writer for parodying almost Victorian style of
writing which is not in consonance with contemporary style of writing.
Nivanka writes specifically a Lankan situation in her story ‘The
Oleander Child’ This too I welcomed instead of writing the entire time
in general universal matrix.
In the story ‘Standing ovation’ I liked this passage attributed to
the narrator of the story:
“I am the perfect liar. I always knew how to concoct a fusion of myth
and truth within my mind and create a remedial dream world. And yet have
never spoken an untruth in my lifetime. Lying to others is effortless
and every human being can pride in his ability to fool another but who
among you can fool himself”
Finally the last story is titled ‘The End’. It’s thrilling in an
unusual way. Read it.
This book by Nivanka Fernando needs attention by academic critics.
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