[Note: I am returning to blogging on this site after nearly four years. I hope to continue with a series of posts on Urdu poetry.]
The human mind
works through metaphors and analogies. And no one understands this better than
a poet. In the sub-continental Urdu-Persian poetic tradition, the metaphor was
carried to great heights of sophistication during the classical period. The
“Indian style” of Persian poetry (sabk-e-hindi)
and its allied Urdu tradition became famous (some would say notorious) for
their “metaphorical excesses.”[1] Mirza Asadullah Khan “Ghalib” (1797-1869) one of the foremost exponents of this
style, is known for his intricate and abstract metaphorical constructions, so
much so that he is sometimes called a “mushkil
pasand shaayar” or “difficulty loving poet.” But Ghalib also wrote many accessible
verses and has always been a very popular poet in India and Pakistan. Choosing
some verses from his Urdu and Persian ghazals,
in this essay I discuss a particular device that Ghalib used to impart
freshness to established metaphors.
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