Appreciating the Beauty of the Structure of the Ghazal

When I first started reading the ghazal packets, I had some difficulty in navigating my way through understanding the autonomous couplets.  Our second class that defined and elaborated on the structure of the ghazal really helped me understand much more about its origins and its strict structure involving the components of the sher, radif and kaafiya.  When I went back to read the packets after this class, I started to pay closer attention to the ghazal that was in the English alphabet, but still in the Urdu language.  After I would read and try to interpret the English translation, I started to identify the structural components of the ghazal by highlighting the ones we went over in class in different colors.  It wasn’t until this moment that I truly started to appreciate the skill and true artistry of Mir, Ghalib and Faiz.  Although poetry is not my favorite form of literature, I definitely picked up on the universal truths that were communicated in the individual couplets, all while conforming to the structural components of the ghazal.  I highly respect Mir, Ghalib and Faiz’s artistry and skill, because it is certainly not easy to convey relatable, universal truths about feelings about love, heartbreak, solitude and confinement while fulfilling the tight constraints of the ghazal’s structure. 


While looking up more information of the structure of the ghazal, I found a website that outlines the format and structural components and also gives tips on how to write one for yourself:

www.shayeri.net/writing/ghazal.html