Ritambhara comes up with “Teenager’s Dilemma and other Poems”

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 26: Ritambhara Dhungana captures the struggles and emotions of being a teenager in her first-ever book “Teenager’s Dilemma and Other Poems”. The collection consists of thirty-six poems, each written from the core of her heart. The poems prove that Ritambhara has entered into the world of writing simply to express herself.

Teenagers are immersed in self-exploration and search for a space where they fit in this world. Ritambhara is no exception. Through her poems, she explores the reality of the world, the challenges of finding herself, dealing with confusion, and understanding the world around her. Her poems are really honest. 

“Jealousy” for example shows how she accepts even her negative feelings and considers such feelings to be completely normal. Everyone gets jealous at some point and people should not hide their negative feelings, they should rather talk about them as they are natural. This thought is so naturally expressed that it encourages the readers to open up even about their negative emotions. 

She seems to be emotional and sensitive which is felt in her poem “The Softest to Hold”. She also shows how aware she is of the superstitious beliefs of society. Her poem “Respect the Red” talks about how normal menstruation is and how it should be respected. Almost all women bleed every single month and instead of being taken care of or even respected, they have to face restrictions and limitations. 

The poet is a Gen-Z persona. She interestingly chooses the metaphor of computer systems to reflect on her life and its circle of pleasures and pains. Next comes the metaphor of "reboot," which signifies a moment of personal rebooting when she strives to refresh her mind, renew her spirit and start all over again. 

Overall, through candid and emotional expressions, her poems not only resonate with the feelings of teenagers but also with adults who reflect on their past experiences of being in a state of confusion while feeling misunderstood by the world. 

“Teenager’s Dilemma and Other Poems” is a collection of raw emotions that shape the journey of facing life and the world through the development of a stronger individual set of values.