Urdu Poetry Research Articles

Female Voice in Urdu Poetry

This essay aims at understanding the development and struggles of a ‘female voice’ within Urdu poetic tradition through the writings of women poets of the Nineteenth century in contrast to the women poets of the twentieth-century feminist movement. The women in traditional Urdu poetry have remained a silent cruel beloved, the image offered is that of a ‘feckless beloved, endowed with heavenly beauty, reigned: fair to face, doe-eyed, dark hair, tall and willowy, a woman who vacillated from indifference, shyness and modesty to wanton cruelty. The essay is an attempt to understand the level of autonomy of the female voice in the poems of women poets through the years. To portray the development of a feminine expression in Urdu poetry the paper will be ranging from the poems of tawaifs (courtesan) of the eighteenth century like Mah Laqa Chanda, their attempts to acquire a place within the patrilineal Urdu literary tradition; the rekhti tradition where men wrote poems in a female voice, to the twentieth century feminist poets like Kishwar Naheed and Fehmida Riaz. The paper is based on Hakim Fasihuddin Ranj’s anthology ‘Baharistan-i-Naz’ which provides a brief yet important introduction on the status of various tawaif poets within the Urdu literary circle; Rahat Azmi’s Halat-i-Mah Laqa, a biographical work on the life and works of Mah Laqa Bai Chanda; and Rukhsana Ahmad’s ‘We Sinful Women’, a compilation of the original and translated works of feminist women poets of twentieth-century Pakistan. Various secondary sources have been used to understand the dynamics behind the writing style of these poets and how similar terms came to be used for portraying completely distinct themes.

Shade of Tauheed and different genres of Urdu poetry

In its essence Tauheed (the Islamic doctrine of monotheism, the only one creator), is the foundation of all Islamic beliefs. The essence of sending the Prophets and the day of judgement and the life after death all these beliefs are based on Oneness of “God”. Hence when we take a glance on the literature of the period, between 1759 A.D. (1174 A.H.) and 1806 A.D. (1221 A.H.), which is that of the Moghul era, i.e., the literature of Aali Gohar Shah Alam era, we see that during this period alongside the development of Urdu prose, the effects of doctrine of Tauheed had begun to show in its poetry in the form of Hamd (hymns in praise of Allah). Moghul era, during which Urdu poetry was progressing and was being written in its different forms like Masnavi, Ghazal, Nazm, Rubaee, Qaseeda etc., renowned poets like Meer Hasan, Jurrat, Inshaa, Mushafi, Rangeen, Qudrat, Baqaa, Hazeen, Baidar, Bayan, Rasikh, Hidayat and others apart from writing on other subjects also laid their hands on divine topics in which the shade of monotheistic couplets were quite evident and profound. Amongst the aforementioned poets Meer Hasan was such an archetype artist who used to paint with his words, the picture of an incident with such an efficiency, delicacy, adeptness and completeness that it would appear to be a picture in front of the eyes of the reader. He was basically a poet with divine inclination and hailed from a religious family which is the reason that Tauheed is reflected everywhere in his different forms of poetry like Masnavis, Rubayees, Ghazals and Qaseedas. Masnavi is prominent in religious poetry owing to the fact that there is a continuity specific to it, which is less visible in other forms of poetry. Hence for a poet it is the easiest and beneficial form to explain an incident or subject. In our observation, when we are in search of religious and Godly shade in the works of poets, we mostly come across samples of Masnavi.

An Analytical Study of Deewan-e-Ghalib Edited by Malik Ram (1957)

Ghalib lies at a prominent place in Urdu poetry. His Urdu Diwan was edited five times during his life while it was edited enormously by different research scholars after that. Among all these editions, the Diwan edited by Malik Ram gets an important and prominent position due to its critical concepts and featuring, as it includes almost all the verses of Ghalib. The second prominance was obtainted by “Nuskha Arshi.

The concept of Love and Beauty in Joun Elia’s Poetry

Joun Elia is one of the well- known names of modern Urdu poetry. He introduces the modern trends of Urdu poem and ode in poetry .He expressed his thoughts on different topics and gave a new touch and express to his thoughts. His poetry describes the concept of “love and beauty” with new trends. This article is going to describe and discuss. The different aspects of Joun Elia poetry with special reference to love and beauty

Prose Translations of Ghalib’s Persian Poetry

Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib is amongst the most eminent poets & writers of India. His poetry & letters, both in Persian & Urdu, remain a significant part of India’s literary history. Ghalib not only proved his command in Urdu poetry but also showed his abilities and mastery in Persian verse. He was proud of his Persian poetry and is rightfully considered amongst the most prominent Persian poets of his time. Many translators and critics have attempted to translate & write commentaries on his Persian poetry, both in prose and versified. Amongst these critics & translators, several individuals had the potential of taking forward the translations of Ghalib’s Persian Poetry into Urdu and produced many notable translations. In This study, we shall first introduce their translations and then present a comparative analysis of their prose translations to determine which translator was more successful in terms of considering all the minute textual details.

Stratification and Role of the Elite Muslim Women in the State of Awadh, 1742-1857

This paper focuses on stratification and role of the elite Muslim women in the State of Awadh during the second-half of the eighteenth, and first-half of nineteenth century India. It evaluates the categorization of women associated with the court and the division of political and domestic power among them. It also seeks their economic resources and their contribution in fields of art and architecture. The study finds that the first category of royal women of Awadh, including queen mothers and chief wives, enjoyed a powerful position in the state-matters unlike many other states of the time in India. Besides a high cadre of royal ladies, three more cadres of royal women existed in Awadh’s court with multiple ratios of power and economic resources. Elite women’s input and backing to various genres of art, language and culture resulted in growth of Urdu poetry, prose, drama and music in addition to religious architecture. The paper has been produced on the basis of primary and secondary sources. It includes the historical accounts, written by contemporary historians as well as cultural writings, produced by poets and literary figures of the time, besides letters and other writings of the rulers of Awadh. The writings produced by the British travelers, used in this paper, have further provided an insightful picture and a distinctive perspective.

Elements of Allusion in Urdu Poetry

Elements of Allusion in Urdu Poetry

Classical Urdu Poetry: A Sociological Perspective

Classical Urdu Poetry: A Sociological Perspective

'Naqsh-e-Kaf-e-Pa': A Representative Example of Alienation and Estrangement in Modern Urdu Poetry

'Naqsh-e-Kaf-e-Pa': A Representative Example of Alienation and Estrangement in Modern Urdu Poetry

Urdu poetry: A romance between the eternal and ephemeral.

Urdu poetry: A romance between the eternal and ephemeral.

طاہر سُلطانی کی نعتیہ شاعری میں تذکرۂ دُرود و سلام: Narration of Durood-o-Salām in Tahir Sultani’ s Na̒tia Poetry

Urdu Poetry has a distinct among its so many other forms. Among them Na'at has gained a unique, sacred and dominating place all over the other forms. The Poets consider it an honour for them to write Na'at-e-Nabi (S.A.W). While writing the Na'at they consciously try to write about the life and characteristics of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W). They also write about Darood-o-Salam which the Allah Almighty has made an obligation for the Muslims. Darood is the most important subject of the poet and most of his poetry is relevant to it. Tahir Sultani belongs to the district Karachi, is a poet of Na’at and Hamd. He has been writing Na’at-e-Rasool (S.A.W) for the last two decades. He has published Works based on the above-mentioned types of poetry with the Titals “Nat Roshni”, “Naat Meri Zindagi” and Har Saans Pukaray Sall-e-Ala. Tahir Sultani has also gaind the fame as a critic. In this article the poet’s feelings about the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and his style of mentioning the facts has been discussed with respect to the above-mentioned books.

Thematic Parallels in Shakespeare and the 19th Century Urdu Poetry: A Comparative Study

This paper highlights that although Urdu poetry in the 19th century and English in Shakespeare’s time is the embodiment of two different cultural, social, religious, and environmental factors, in their basic philosophies, both shared much that seems to be brought from a similar realm of thought. In this paper, the authors focus only on the thematic comparison of the key ideas, concentrating on topics and themes familiar in that time like life and death, love, self-praise, compensation theory, immortality, loss and exile, and music. This paper further discusses how Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays and Urdu poetry of the19th century poets Ghalib, Mir, Zafar, and Zauq presents common human concerns regardless of geographical boundaries and time.

Presentation of Feminine Issues in Manzar Bhopali’s Kalam In The Perspectives of Moaaza aur Haasil

From the beginning of mankind to the present day, women have been afflicted with various kinds of problems in different periods, different religions and civilizations. During this period, there were some problems which disappeared with the changing times, but during this time some new problems arose which are more serious and need to be solved than the previous problems. ManzarBhopali, which is an important and prominent voice of contemporary Urdu poetry, resonates with these issues. In the article under review, the same modern feminine issues presented in ManzarBhopali'sKalam are discussed in a special way.

Ghazal of Halqa Arbab e Zauq In the light of records of Critical Sessions

Halqa Arbab e Zauq Peshawar is a very active organization. This organization was established in 1948. Its meetings are held weekly. Arbab e Zauq Peshawar is one of the largest literary organizations in the country. News of the literary activities of the circle is read weekly. Theghazal of the constituency is almost as old as the history of Peshawar. As far as the ghazal recitation of Arbab e Zauq Peshawar is concerned, regular critical meetings were held in this regard from the very beginning. This organization promoted Urdu poetry, ghazal, fiction and literary criticism.

Modern Urdu Poetry and Contemporary Requirements

The contemporary needs, demands, and challenges and their impact on our modern poetry are very pertinent to mention here that contemporary consciousness is very necessary for modern poets and poetry. Challenges of the modern era and contemporary consciousness are the main sources to impress the mind and soul of the Creator and such literature plays a significant role in society. The poets realize, analyze and judge the surrounding issues of their era and discuss them in their poetry. Succinctly we can say that the contemporary demands and challenges have a deep impact on modern poetry.

“Mir Taqi Mir”. A fragment from the History of Urdu Poetry “Water of Life” of Muhammad Husayn Azad

The article is a translation into Russian of the chapter from the “Water of Life” by Muhammad Husain Azad (1830–1910). This is the chapter about the greatest Urdu poet Mir Taki Mir (1713/1723(?)–1810 AD). The critical work by Azad, the “Water of Life” is considered as the first history of Urdu poetry written in Urdu. Azad was the first to see in this phenomenon a continuous process. The periods in the development of literature are interlinked. Azad identifies five major periods of Urdu poetry and briefly describes each of them. His work comprises biographical facts, characteristics, vivid word-portraits of outstanding Urdu poets and colourful historical anecdotes associated with them. The “Water of Life” had a very significant impact on contemporaries of Azad, as well as on the further development of literary-critical thought in Urdu. It set the standard for literary criticism for many decades. “Water of Life” had a significant impact on contemporaries, as well as on the further development of literary-critical thought in Urdu. It set the standard for literary criticism for many decades to come. Regardless that some historical dates and literary facts, as well as some important generalizations of the author, seem today at least controversial, still many Urdu literati and critics even nowadays fully rely upon the evaluation and criticism of famous poets as given by Azad.

When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry, written by Kugle, Scott

When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry, written by Kugle, Scott

The ghazal of Mir Taqi Mir: the formation of the poetic and literary language of Urdu

Mir Taqi Mir is a classic Urdu poet of the 18th century, an outstanding master of ghazal genre. With his work, Mir Taqi Mir proved that his native Urdu language possessed a vocabulary fit to express the finest nuances of poetic speech. He also made evident that the ghazals written in Urdu were not entirely imitations of those written in Persian, which formed the poetical basis of Urdu poetry. The article argues that the Mir Taqi Mir's heritage can be considered as a milestone in the evolutionary development of both poetical and literary language of Urdu. Throughout his life, the poet remained in a creative search. Working on a certain poetical theme, he often made recourse to it trying to bring out maximum possibilities for its realization by means of his native language. Analysis of numerous examples in the article can be considered as an effort to ascertain how borrowed poetical traditions were domesticated and how this process facilitated the selection of vocabulary and standardization of common literary language of Urdu.

الجانب البلاغی فی القصیدة الأردیة عند شکیل شمسی

يسلط هذا البحالضوء على الجانب البلاغي في القصيدة الأردية عند شکيل شمسي ليبرز أثرها البالغ في تکثيف السمات الدلالية والوقوف على سمات فارقة في الشعر الأردي المعاصر. إن أکثر ما يميز موضوع البحث هو کيفية تناول موضوع تقليدي بطريقة حديثة مما يضيف شيئا جديدا إلى هذا المجال، أي مدى التلاؤم بين المادة الحديثة والآليات القديمة في مسح شامل للقصائد المستخدمة في البحث ومدى اهتمام الشاعر بالمبحث البلاغي الذي تمثل في عدة منجزات تم تحقيقها في قصائده وعلى هذا جاء عنوان البحث: الجانب البلاغي في القصيدة الأردية عند شکيل شمسي . وقد قسمت البحث إلى ملخص باللغة العربية، وآخر باللغة الإنجليزية ومقدمة ومبحثا واحدا، ويتکون من نقطتين أساسيتين تتحدث الأولى عن حياة الشاعر والتعريف بأهم أعماله، والثانية عن الجانب البلاغي في القصيدة الأردية عند شکيل شمسي، ثم ذيل البحث بخاتمة بها نتائج البحث وثبت بأهم المصادر والمراجع. This study sheds light on the manifestations of renewal in the contemporary Urdu poems by Shakeel Shamsi. It aims to highlight the great impact of such manifestations on intensifying the use of semantic features and identifying distinctive features in contemporary Urdu poetry. The most distinctive feature of the subject matter of this study is the special approach it adopts to exploring a traditional topic using a modern method. As such, the study adds something new to this field. Both the extent of achieving compatibility between the use of modern material and old mechanisms in a comprehensive survey of the poems investigated in this study and the extent of the poet's interest in the use of rhetorical devices in his poems have been thoroughly investigated. Accordingly, the study is titled, Rhetorical of side in Shakeel Shamsi's Contemporary Urdu Poems. The study consists of an abstract in Arabic, an abstract in English, an introduction, the body of the study, and a conclusion. The body of the study presents the main arguments and discussion of the subject matter. It has two main sections: the first section gives a biographical account of the poet's life and provides a review of his works. The second section discusses the manifestations of renewal in the contemporary Urdu poems written by Shakeel Shamsi. The conclusion highlights the key findings of the study and provides a list of the key sources and references cited in the text.

Awareness Level of Visually Impaired College Students about Urdu Poets and Poetry in Punjab: A Qualitative Inquiry

Language has been the most popular source of communication in human society since the start of civilization. The tradition of Folk Tales appeared as the foundation of literature in ancient times. Poetry is a significant way of expression in human literature. Urdu language possesses uncountable master pieces of prose and poetry. Visually impaired persons have proved themselves as literature lovers, good readers and visionary poets in past and present. This study is an effort to depict the awareness level of visually impaired college students about Urdu poets and their creations. The population of the study consisted of all visually impaired students enrolled in public and private sector colleges located in the district Lahore and Okara. A self developed and validated structured interview schedule containing 10 open ended questions was used to collect data from conveniently selected sample of 30 visually impaired students (males= 18, females=12). Descriptive statistics (percentages of responses) were calculated, collected information was coded; major themes were derived and interpreted by qualitative data analysis technique. The Study reflected that the visually impaired college students were having a lot of information about Urdu poets and their creations although there seemed a lack of in depth knowledge. They reported the lack of talking books and material in Braille on Urdu poetry of great and famous poets. They suggested the establishment of talking libraries throughout the country. Major findings were reported, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made to Punjab Higher Education Department.