Urdu poetry originated in Pakistan and Northern India, often written in ghazal form and performed at Mushaira gatherings. It has an oral tradition and includes forms such as qasida, mathnawi, and marthiya. Modern Urdu poetry covers a range of topics and is often found online in Arabic or transliterated into English.
Urdu poetry is a compilation of many forms of poetry that originated in the region of Pakistan and parts of Northern India. It has been found frequently in Jammu and Kashmir region largely populated by Islamic people. Urdu is a language that can be traced back to the Persian and Arabic writing systems covering a large region of Western and Southwestern Asia. Now one of Pakistan’s official languages, Urdu is often used by Muslims for poetry. International gatherings where Urdu poetry is read and celebrated are known as Mushairas, and the poetry is typically expressed in ghazal form, through recitation or song.
Online collections of Urdu poetry are often written in Arabic or Urdu itself which is sometimes transliterated into English letter by letter to try to keep the original sound and meaning. The ghazal form of the poem is considered a love lyric and is often written erotically as recurring rhymes. The nazm is another variation and closely related to the ghazal as a form of rhyming verse. A collection of poems lists the work of 343 poets and 1,826 royal ghazals and nazms. Indexes of ghazal singers, songs and entire music albums of Urdu poetry can also be found.
Mushaira Gatherings for Urdu Poetry are relatively unstructured events where poems may be erotic, humorous, or musical, and the public is often invited to attend. Audience members can come forward on stage and recite their own poems. Performances can also be competitive and the finale of a Mushaira is typically closed by the most revered Urdu poet present who is invited to recite his poems to the audience.
As a form of literature, Urdu poetry has more of an oral tradition, being passed down from generation to generation from the 12th to the 13th century. Despite the political turmoil in the region during the early 12th century, the oral tradition of Urdu still thrives. Conflicts due to the British occupation of India and the eventual partition of the Hindu state to create the Islamic nations of Pakistan and Bangladesh led to Urdu poetry gaining a foothold as a part of Indian culture and as a source of pride national in Pakistan. The first widely recognized master of Urdu poetry was Quli Qutub Shah who lived from 13 to 21 AD
Other forms of Urdu poetry include qasida, consisting of high praises, mathnawi as another form of romantic poetry, and marthiya as an elegy, or funeral song, often performed at funerals. Literary journals such as the well-known Shaabkhoon which started publication in 1966 have brought a modern tradition in the Urdu poet’s writing and rhyme. Topics now covered by the language of Urdu poetry include current thinking on sociology and the local and foreign influences affecting Third World nations.
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