Urdu poetry is the body of poetry written in the Urdu language, especially the lyrical traditions that grew in South Asia under strong Persian and Arabic influence. It includes well-known forms such as the ghazal and nazm, and it is often valued for its musical phrasing, condensed emotion, and careful use of imagery, rhyme, and meter.
Urdu poetry is closely tied to recital culture, especially the mushaira, where poets perform their work aloud. Love, loss, devotion, social criticism, and spiritual longing are common themes.
Urdu Poetry is a rich tradition of poetry and has many different forms which were basically originated from Arabic and borrowing much from the Persian language, it is today an important part of the cultures of India and Pakistan.
Like other languages, the history of Urdu poetry shares origins and influences with other linguistic traditions within the Urdu-Hindi-Hindustani mix. Literary figures as far back as Amir Khusro (1253-1325 CE) and Kabir (1440–1518 CE) inspired later Urdu poets, and served as intellectual and linguistic sources. Meer, Dard, Ghalib, Anis, Dabeer, Iqbal, Zauq, Josh, Jigar, Faiz, Firaq and Faraz are among the greatest poets of Urdu. The tradition is centered in the subcontinent. Following the Partition of India in 1947, it found major poets and scholars residing primarily in modern Pakistan. Mushairas (or poetic expositions) are today held in metropolitan areas worldwide.
Forms of Urdu Poetry
Ghazal (pronounced as "ghuzzle"), Fard,
Hamd, Hazal, Hijv,
Madah,
Manqabat,
Marsiya (muhr-see-yaa),
Masnavi (pronounced "mus-na-vee"),
Munaajaat,
Musaddas,
Naat,
Nazm,
Qasida (pronounced "quh-see-daa"), Qataa, Rubayi (pronounced "ru-baa-ee"), Ruba'i,
Rubaiyat,
Salaam,
Seharaa, and
Vaasokht.
Example
At the mushaira, the poet lifted one bright couplet at a time:
The lamp remembers every night it burned,
and grief keeps watch beside the sleeping heart.
A single line can carry a whole return,
a single silence, the shape of parting.