Tag Archives: Ghazal
Learning Hindi through Poetry Posted by Rachael on Mar 7, 2019
Literature can be a powerful way to learn a new language. Although, at the most basic levels of language learning, the student may at first focus on simple vocabulary and grammatical structures, these are not what gives a language its depth and vibrancy. Particularly in South Asian culture, which has a rich oral and literary…
The Poetry of Parveen Shakir Posted by Rachael on Feb 27, 2019
For this week’s blog, I thought it would be interesting to delve into the world of Hindi-Urdu poetry, in the form of a ghazal by Parveen Shakir (1952-1994). As you may remember, I wrote a blog post about this poet previously, where you can learn more about her life and contributions to Urdu poetry. Below…
Parveen Shakir: A Poetess for the Modern Age Posted by Rachael on Dec 31, 2017
Born in 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan, Parveen Shakir (परवीन शाकिर) was a renowned poet in her lifetime and beyond. In addition to her career as a poet, she also served as a teacher and a civil servant of the Pakistani government. Remarkably, she began to display a talent for writing early in life, so it…
Sahir Ludhianvi: A Poet of the Silver Screen (Part 3) Posted by Rachael on Oct 15, 2017
If you haven’t yet read parts 1 and 2 of this series on the renowned poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, check them out now! In this next poem I’ll share with you, Ludhianvi once again manages to upend a traditional concept and transform it into an entirely different meditation on justice, the rights of the…
Sahir Ludhianvi: A Poet of the Silver Screen (Part 2) Posted by Rachael on Oct 14, 2017
If you haven’t already, check out my part 1 of this series on the talented poet and lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi, and enjoy this part 2 on his work and literary style! Although Ludhianvi is perhaps best known for his role as a film lyricist, his poetry beyond that certainly commends itself. He made his debut…