Marsiya, or elegy, is a type of poem that originated with the Arabs and is written to mourn the dead and eulogize them. The pronunciation of the word Marsiya in Arabic is "Marziya.”Regardless of its background, this type of poetry became more popular in Persia and later in Urdu.
Every poem usually has a purpose and Marsiya, in this case, is no exception. It is more of a sorrow poem and is often used to mourn the loss of a loved one. In its unmixed form, it's written in memory of Husayn ibn Ali, and some martyrs of Karbala.Marsiya is written for a loved one or family member.
It’s more accepted among different domination of Shia Muslims. A single stanza of Marsiya consists of six verses. These verses have a rhyming pattern; XXXXZZ (vertically.) The word ‘Marsiya’ acquired from the Arabic word ‘risa’ which means a great tragedy or wailing for a departed soul. It is full of pathos, love, bravery, emotions, patriotism and final sacrifice. Lastly, it is the only kind of poetry which offers the poet a platform to depict their knowledge and creativity.
Pronounced (muhr-see-yaa)
An elegy written to mourn the death of a great man or a dearly loved person. In its stricter sense, traditionally accepted in Urdu, Marsiya (or elegy) is nearly always on the death of Hasan and Husain and their families, but occasionally on the death of relatives and friends.
It is usually in six-lined stanzas with the rhyme aaaabb. The recitation of these elegies in the first ten days of Muharram is one of the greatest event in Muslim life. A fully developed marsiya is always an epic. The famous marsia writers who inherited the tradition of Mir Anis among his successive generations are Mir Nawab Ali 'Munis', Dulaha Sahab 'Uruj', Mustafa Meerza urf Piyare Sahab 'Rasheed', Syed Muhammad Mirza Uns, Ali Nawab 'Qadeem', Syed Sajjad Hussain "Shadeed" Lucknavi, Allama, Dr.Syed Ali Imam Zaidi, "Gauher" Luckhnavi the(great grandson of Mir Babber Ali Anis).