Book Review: Ebullience and Other Poems – A Raw, Unfiltered Modern Poetry Collection That Grapples with Landscape, Loss, and Legacy

Ebullience and Other Poems (Kelsay Books) by Bhupender K Bhardwaj is a modern poetry collection rich in imagery to the point of overflow; at times, it would benefit from sharper editorial shears. Romanticising the everyday without slipping into sentimentality is one of poetry’s toughest balancing acts, and Bhardwaj’s ambition to tackle it deserves respect, even when the execution stumbles.

The collection’s heart beats loudest when rooted in the earth, but sentimentality sometimes dulls its blade. In Ebullience, the titular poem, Bhardwaj sketches a rural Indian valley with devotional reverence. “Between the initials deeply imprinted / on its worn-out handle, / your grandfather’s spirit oscillating / with ebullience can be clearly discerned.” There’s undeniable tenderness here, a longing to immortalise toil and ancestry. But the line wobbles under the weight of its own sentiment. The phrase “oscillating with ebullience” reaches for transcendence but ends up feeling like abstraction for abstraction’s sake. It’s simply too heavy. What could be potent and raw is somewhat buried. Still, the emotional intent is clear, and Bhardwaj’s sincerity occasionally slices through like sunlight through dust.

Bhardwaj’s true talent emerges in his tactile attention to decay, detritus, and contradiction. When the Fulgent Goats… is a stand-out piece, part surrealist vignette, part socioeconomic parable. “Moustachioed merchants pluck gold from the corn on the cob / that in turn knocks / down the aurum from their avaricious teeth.” This is satire laced with visual punch, mocking the facade of progress while grounding the critique in a sensory richness. The merging of rural imagery with sly commentary on greed elevates the work, giving us both texture and bite. Here, Bhardwaj doesn’t just observe. He indicts.

At times, Bhardwaj’s love of imagery leads him away from the emotional core of his work. In Pastoral Snapshots, for instance, we’re offered striking lines like “the basil-crowned lighthouse— / guide to the seafaring people and meaning-seeking writers.” It’s a beautiful image, but one that feels crafted more for its aesthetic pull than for the momentum of the poem itself. Bhardwaj’s metaphors are often inventive and bold; with a little more discipline, they could land with even greater force.

The closing poems mark a clear tonal shift, leaning into philosophical enquiry and grief with a more considered hand. To Bring Back Memories of the Dead is notably pared-down, and all the more poignant for it: “The invisible maroon-colored vintage wine / flowing from their dead bones”, captures the kind of metaphysical ache that holds. In these later pieces, Bhardwaj shows greater restraint, allowing his imagery to breathe rather than overwhelm. Bridging the Gap flirts with didacticism but is pulled back by stark, affecting lines like “the grave edge of reason bruises / the face of happiness.” It’s blunt, yes, but it’s honest. And in this collection, that kind of stripped-back honesty feels like a rare and welcome glint of gold.

So where does Ebullience and Other Poems sit in the contemporary poetry landscape? It’s a book teetering between the old-school lyricism of romanticised nature and the spikier realism of postcolonial reflection. There’s no doubt Bhardwaj has range, from the slums and temples to the spectral beaches of Alibaug, but he needs to kill more of his darlings. Compared to the surgical precision of contemporary Indian poets like Tishani Doshi, Bhardwaj’s work feels more like an early mixtape than a masterstroke. It’s a collection that hints at greater things to come. If Bhardwaj can fully trust his instincts and pare back the noise, there’s every chance he’ll deliver work that cuts even deeper.

About the Author

Bhupender K Bhardwaj’s poems have been published across Europe and US. His debut collection Ebullience and Other Poems was published by Kelsay Books, USA in early 2019. He has also been a finalist in several national poetry awards.