Kamala Das and the Grotesque Aesthetic: Exploring Themes of Love, Identity, and Fragmentation in Her Poetry

This paper explores Kamala Das's use of the grotesque in her poetry, highlighting how it can be a tool for vulnerability as well as empowerment. Key poems are the subject of the analysis, which highlights the conflict between identity, love, and death as well as how human relationships are frequently presented as contradictory—both nourishing and harmful. The grotesque is examined as a metaphor for psychological and emotional disarray, especially when it comes to themes of time, love, and loss. It also acts as a kind of subversion, questioning conventional notions of femininity, gender, and beauty. The grotesque in Das's work encourages readers to consider the intricacies of individual and societal identity by fusing feminist, existential, and postcolonial issues. This analysis demonstrates how her poetry employs this style to critique traditional roles and to reflect the fragmented nature of modern existence