Reflection of Kashmiri Cultural Tapestry and Landscape in Agha Shahid Ali’s Poetry

Abstract

Agha Shahid Ali is a prominent figure in English poetry not only of Kashmir, India but also in Global literature. A kashmiri by birth and a resident of New Delhi, he completed his education in the United States of America. A celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, he is mostly remembered for his English ghazals. Ali is credited with popularizing English ghazals, a new form in English poetry. Ali was a native of Kashmir but in his later life, he has lived in the United States and even buried there. It was a time when Kashmir was in the grip of conflict, many times he wanted to come back but was not able to return because of the chaos in his beloved homeland. Feeling nostalgic about his days in Kashmir, he reflected his anguish, love and longing in his verses which have become immortal. His poems are a true reflection of Kashmiri cultural tapestry and landscape and for which he has received many awards and honours. His two poetry collections; In Memory of Begum Akhtar and The Country Without a Post Office are fine examples of his love and concern for his homeland, Kashmir and its people. Witnessing a period during was facing turmoil, he has written poems in these collections while keeping Kashmir’s conflict in the background. We can witness the pain and anguish of an individual living in exile while his people and his land are in tumultuous state. One thing which is common in Ali’s poetry is its resonance with nostalgia, longing, memory and most importantly the loss of home. This we can find in almost all his poems and this is the greatness of his writing. In our paper, we are trying to showcase the reflection of Kashmiri Cultural Tapestry and landscape in Agha Shahid Ali’s poetry.