The packet "Ghazals of Ghalib" breaks down the process of interpretation and understanding in to its most basic steps. Beginning with a lengthy introduction about Ghalib himself as well as how to best read his poetry, the piece goes on to take different ghazals individually and transcribe the literal translation before going through particular vocabulary and interpretation before giving examples of how modern poets have interpreted that particular ghazal using their own writing style.
What I enjoyed most about reading this piece was how familiar I found it. What I mean is that it's not often you find scholarly work dedicated to breaking down poetry in such a clear and easy to understand format, and it reminded me a lot of the way I go about interpreting poetry and trying to get meaning out of it. Now I'm not saying that I go around seeking out poetry that's in another language and translate it, but as far as breaking down each couplet individually and trying to discern a "general explanation", that's definitely something I find myself doing often. I've also tried reinterpreting older works in my own style like the authors in the packet do, which is always an interesting exercise to try.
Overall I found "Ghazals of Ghalib" to be accessible, informative and concise. I wish I was able to find works like this more frequently--most critical interpretation is so bogged down in references and rhetoric that it can be difficult to discern meaning from it. What "Ghazals of Ghalib does best is present unfamiliar poetry in a way that both enriches your understanding of the centuries old ghalib tradition and makes it more applicable to today.
What I enjoyed most about reading this piece was how familiar I found it. What I mean is that it's not often you find scholarly work dedicated to breaking down poetry in such a clear and easy to understand format, and it reminded me a lot of the way I go about interpreting poetry and trying to get meaning out of it. Now I'm not saying that I go around seeking out poetry that's in another language and translate it, but as far as breaking down each couplet individually and trying to discern a "general explanation", that's definitely something I find myself doing often. I've also tried reinterpreting older works in my own style like the authors in the packet do, which is always an interesting exercise to try.
Overall I found "Ghazals of Ghalib" to be accessible, informative and concise. I wish I was able to find works like this more frequently--most critical interpretation is so bogged down in references and rhetoric that it can be difficult to discern meaning from it. What "Ghazals of Ghalib does best is present unfamiliar poetry in a way that both enriches your understanding of the centuries old ghalib tradition and makes it more applicable to today.
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