1. Examples of poetic forms

Ghazal

Ghazals are often sung in a slow lyrical form such as this famous rendition of a Mir ghazal by Mehdi Hasan.

But recently several Qawwali singers have recorded amazing versions of classical ghazals. For e.g. a famous ghazal by Ghalib sung in Qawwali form by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. See here for ghazal text and translation: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/106/index_106.html

And another one sung by Farid Ayaz, Abu Muhammad and Party. See here for ghazal text and translation: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/159/index_159.html

Nazms

In the 20th century, poets, particularly those of a political bent, have used the nazm more extensively. But even in political nazms, you will often find classical imagery. Here is a famous nazm by Faiz recited by Zia Moheuddin

And another famous more recent nazm by Fahmida Riaz:

2. . How to understand this tradition on its own terms

Key concepts: meaning creation (maani afriinii) and theme creation (mazmun aafrinin). Ghalib famously says in one of his letters that “poetry is the creation of meaning not the measuring of rhymes”. We will try to understand this idea. Here is Zia Moheuddin reading that letter of Ghalib’s. Listen from 7:50 minute mark till about 9:00 minute mark.

What makes a good she’r?  I will continue this this question over all the sessions drawing on the work of Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Frances Pritchett and Ahmad Javaid. See chapters 6, 7, and 8 of Pritchett’s Nets of Awareness. Some key concepts here are rabt (connectedness of the two lines), ravaanii (flowingness), and kaifiyat (mood).  Note that each couplet in a ghazal is a stand-alone poem but alongside this, there is often a mood (kaifiyat) or even a thematic continuity in the ghazal. Gulzar’s famous poem dil DhoonDta hai phir wohi fursat ke raat din is a tribute to Ghalib and beautifully illustrates the idea of kaifiyat. Faiz’s well-known nazm – rang hai dil ka mire, is also a great example of kaifiyat, achieved through the repetition of the word rang. Here is it being recited by Zia Moheuddin: