Hasini Narayanaswamy is a poet from Bengaluru and a recent high school graduate with her pen dipped in philosophy and just a dash of doom. When not writing poetry, Hasini enjoys pondering the complexities of identity and emotion, and why it always seems to rain when you’re sad (or is it the other way around?).
Hasini’s poetry reflects on themes like identity, sorrow, hope, and the small moments that shape us. With a thoughtful and honest voice, Hasini writes about the world as she sees it—sometimes through myth, sometimes through memory, but always with meaning. She continues to explore her craft, one poem at a time.
Q: Many of your poems talk about identity and sorrow. Are these themes personal for you?
Yes, very much so. Identity and sorrow aren’t just poetic themes; they’re personal landscapes I return to again and again. The deepest I’ve ever felt is when writing about sorrow. It’s such a complex emotion—hard to define, and even harder to express in words. What comes after sorrow feels almost abstract to me. I write about what I imagine follows it, but often, it still feels incomplete. It’s like trying to answer the broad question, “What comes after death?” and knowing that no answer can fully contain all that it means. It’s something I hope to explore more deeply in the future, to add another layer to the subject.
Sorrow changes us. The experiences life puts us through don’t leave us the same; we chip a little each time, and carry pieces of those moments with us. We change, and so does our identity. Identity is nothing but an external front to the emotions we carry within. I think much of my writing reflects that: how we evolve through discord, and what I think comes after it.
Q: Which poets or books have influenced your writing the most? Who are your idols?
I’ve been inspired by many poets, but three that have especially influenced me are Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, and William Wordsworth. Dickinson’s ability to pen vast, often existential emotions into such precise language has deeply impacted how I approach form and silence in my writing. Sylvia Plath’s raw honesty, her exploration of identity, mental anguish, and emotional extremes—especially in “Ariel”—showed me how powerful it is to write. Her intensity resonates with the emotional landscapes I often explore in my own work, like in "in silence."
Wordsworth, on the other hand, shaped the quieter, reflective parts of my writing. His reverence for nature and the emotional echoes of memory taught me how to find meaning in the ordinary.
They are all idols to me. Not just because of their craft, but because of their courage in writing honestly about life, loss, beauty, and truth. Their work continues to challenge and inspire me.
Q: Do you feel that poetry could ever stop existing? What kind of power do you think slam poetry has in this age?
I don’t think poetry could ever truly disappear. As Jorge Luis Borges once said, “Literature is a dream, a controlled dream.” Dreams, or Literature, is far older than books and far more instinctive than many people realize—it’s built into the way we speak, pray, mourn, and celebrate. Even if it evolves beyond the page or traditional forms, it will always find its way into the human experience.
Slam poetry, especially today, holds a unique kind of power. It strips away formality and puts the emotion and urgency front and center. In a world full of noise, slam poetry demands to be heard. It’s raw, it’s real, and it creates space for voices that aren’t always represented in mainstream art. It’s not just about performance; it’s about connection, protest, and healing.
THE BOOK
Hasini has been published in the anthology 'Hear Me First'. Curated by Delhi Poetry Slam as part of The Writer's Launchpad, an online workshop series for a select group of contemporary Indian poets. Get your copy!