Rewriting Myth: A Feminist Revisionist Analysis of Amar Jyoti's Poetry

Abstract

Mythological narratives have always been the foundation of our culture, as they transmit values, beliefs, and traditions from one generation to another. However, within a deeply patriarchal structure, these narratives tend to idealize and glorify male prowess and heroism. Conversely, they position women in roles defined primarily by sacrifice, chastity, and tolerance. Drawing on the theoretical framework of ‘revisionist mythology’ as articulated by American poet and critic Alicia Ostriker, the study employs a qualitative close textual analysis of the selected poetry. The study examines how Amar Jyoti, in her poetry, reinterprets mythological female figures such as Sita, Draupadi, and Ahalya to interrogate the inherited gender norms. The analysis primarily focuses on how these legendary figures are transformed from powerless and passive figures into agents of strength and resistance. By deconstructing the role of female figures in dominant mythological narratives such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, she not only criticizes the patriarchal structure but also reclaims these myths as vital sites of resistance and re-articulation. The study argues that Amar Jyoti’s poetry transforms myth into a critical site of feminist resistance and enables the reconstruction of female subjectivity within contemporary Punjabi literature.