J. Appl. Environ. Biol. Sci.

, 4(9S)509-514, 2014 ISSN: 2090-4274

Journal of Applied Environmental
2014, TextRoad Publication and Biological Sciences
www.textroad.com

Ghani Khans Poetry: A Modernist Perspective

Liaqat Iqbal 1 Dr. Muhammad Safeer Awan2 Irfan Ullah3 Nasir Ali 4
1
Lecturer, Department of English, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
2
Assistant Professor, Department of English, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
3
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan
4
BS, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
Received: September 12, 2014
Accepted: November 23, 2014

ABSTRACT

This paper is the study of Ghani Khans poetry in the light of modernist framework. For this purpose three
books of his poetic collection have been studied. It is interesting to see that Ghani Khans poetry, in terms
of diction and style, is marked by a number of modernist elements and parameters. Employment of verse
libre, economy of expression and use of allusions are some of the hallmarks of his poetry. Some of his
major thematic concerns are his mistrust of dogma and rejection of any sort of authority, in particular, his
criticism of the persona of Maulvi whom he regards as a symbol of parochialism and conservatism.
However, of all the modernist elements that make his work comparable with the work of other modernist
and experimentalist writers of the twentieth century, fragmented narrative and use of scattered images are
the two most important characteristics.
KEY TERMS: modernism, Ghani Khan, modernist style, modernist themes, modernist language

1 INTRODUCTION

Modernism, though a western product of the late 19 th and early 20 th century, has its impacts on various
fields of human knowledge e.g. painting, philosophy, anthropology, music, sculpture and architecture;
different ages, different cultures and the literature of different languages. What modernists did was that
they welcomed the modern technologies and scientific experimentations and adopted its essence in
different fields. The traditional art forms in painting, music, sculpture, architecture as well as literature
were rejected in order to incorporate the new trends in scientific investigation and innovations. For
example, in architecture, previously, curves and round shapes were in fashion, but with the onset of
modernism the emphasis was shifted towards utility instead of aesthetics alone. Therefore, use of small
space, glass, concrete and steel became the new norms of artistic expression in architecture. In music,
discord, unrhymed musical patterns and even high volume noise and voice were introduced. In painting and
sculpture the change was more obvious. It widened the range of material that was available to the artists.
New standards of beauty were introduced. The revival of collage and the importation into painting of
sand, cigarette butts, linoleum, hair, straw, mud, or anything else that came to hand this development
is as familiar from jokes as from actual experience (Adams, 1978, p. 27). These revolutions in visual arts
also effected changes in other art forms. For example, the language of modernist literature too became
highly condensed and imagistic. In the words of Adams (1978, p. 27), clichs and quotations, formulas
and phrases out of the linguistic garbage-midden, sufficient to make up an independent, semi-private
language of its own, became a norm of literary language. The artists believed that the old ways of
expression were no more able to encompass the new scattered and fragmented reality of the world.
Modernism as a literary movement brought changes not only in form but also in content, where the
traditional absolute forms and themes were rejected and were experimented in new ways. For example, in poetry,
free verse was introduced where lines were of different length with no traditional metres and regular rhyme
scheme; importance was given to sound, and borrowing from other cultures and literary traditions became a
common practice. Here juxtaposition of ideas and intertextuality were advocated. Free use of allusions was made
and the gap between the present and past was reduced. Language became more sexual and more alluring.
Concepts borrowed from imagism in painting, of which Ezra Pound was the leading practitioner, were brought
in. Though the movement initially influenced the languages and the literatures of the western art forms, gradually
these new practices put tremendous influence on the literary norms of other nations too. It's much easier,

* Corresponding Author: Dr. Irfan Ullah, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Abdul Wali Khan University
Mardan, Pakistan. [email protected]

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however, to say where and how modernism started than where it ended, or if it has: the central and
hardest problem is always the closest, the problem of now (Adams, 1978, p. 28).
Saiyida (1965, p. 39) in her article Urdu Nazm men Haiatke Tajribe (Stylistic Experiments in the
Urdu Poem) cited in Habib (2007, p. 40) while declaring Rashid as the rebel of Urdu poetry says that in
our literature, the most important formal revolution was brought about around 1930, when N. M. Rashid,
Mira Ji began the attempt for the first time in Urdu to write free verse. In Urdu poetry, this
change where the traditional rules of Urdu poetry were experimented and were set free from all the
restraints of the traditional values was the start of modernism in our contexts.
There are studies where modernism is explored in different literary works in Urdu. For example,
various researchers have traced elements of modernism in Iqbals works. Similarly, Habib (2007) in his
article T. S. Eliot and Modernism in Urdu Poetry has also discussed elements of modernism and T. S.
Eliots influence on different Urdu poets. But, as far as regional languages and literatures are concerned,
there is little research where modernist elements might be studied. Furthermore, modernism is oft en
misinterpreted and confused with modernity or modern trends by the researchers of our part of the world
and hence research, in respect to modernism as a movement, is not available to a desirable extent.
Pashto literature, though not properly studied from the modernist standpoint, is one of such literature,
where the influence of modernism is in plain sight. In Pashto, very recently some work has been produced
where modernism and modern trends in Pashto literature have been studied but that too is preliminary
work. For example, Saleem Razs (2008) Pashto Adabaur Naye Rujhanat, Hanif Khalils (2008) Jadediat,
Mabad Jadediataur Pashto Adab, Muhib Wazirs (2008) Pashto Ghazal keJadeedtar Rujhanat, Mustafa
Kamals (2008) Pashto Novel keJadeed Rujhanat, Aseer Mangals (2008) Pashto Afsaneke Jadeed
Rujhanat, and Mustafa kamals (2008) Pashto Drama keJadeed Rujhanat, are some comparatively new
studies in this direction. These works do not discuss modernism as a cultural movement, rather modern in
the sense of modern trends. Furthermore, here Pashto poetry, short stories, novel and drama are discussed
in general where there is no detailed modernist analysis of particular writers works.
There are many poets, for example, Hashim Babar, FazliHaq Sheda and Sayyed Rasool Rasa who are
considered as both modern and modernist poets. But Ghani Khan (1914-1996), the well-known Pashto
writer, poet, and painter, is regarded a modernist poet. In this regard Salma Shaheen says:
Ghani Khan is not only in his own age but also in the 20 th century the most important, the
most modern poet who rebelled against the traditions in the real sense. The freedom
of thought and ideological rebellion are the characteristics of his poetry. These are the
values, which have placed him more modern, more different among all modern and
romantic poets. He is considered unique on the basis of his deep thinking and modern
style. (Salma Shaheen, 2005, pp. 143-144)
Various critics have studied Ghani Khan differently where most of them, including Mian Shah Bacha
and Bakht Sheema (2010) and Shazia Babar (2005), have often focused the romantic aspects of his poetry.
The present study is an attempt to explore various modernist aspects of Ghani Khans poetry which may
establish a point of departure from the previous studies of his poetry vis--vis Romanticism.
Ghani Khan has written several books including Da Penjery Chaghaar (Chirpings of the Cage),
Palwashey (Beams of Light), Panoos (Chandelier), and Latoon (Search). The present study considers three
of his books (Panoos, Palwashey and Da Penjery Chaghaar) for the modernist analysis.
Modernism is a loose term that encompasses a number of things in the cultural domain. Similarly,
there are a number of modernisms acquiring different hues and colours in the changing spaces and time. In
Morriss words, everyone has his or her own modernism (1989, p. 341). Therefore, only selected
modernist themes are discussed with reference to Ghani Khans poetry. There are many things which make
him a modernist poet and that is why people of his age did not welcome him and thus his visionary wisdom
remained unexplored. The highly artistic nature of his works did not earn him popular acclaim though
ironically critical acclaim too has come to him very late since the aspects of his poetry that make him stand
in line with high modernism in Europe have rarely been explored. As, according to Vicki Mahaffey (2007,
p. 58) modernist literature forces the readers to recollect fragments so it is not easily understandable for
the layman.
Ghani Khans style and elements of modernism: Ghani Khans style is a deviation from the traditional
poetic techniques which most of his contemporaries used. It is unique in the sense that he makes his poems
very rich, compact, and full of allusions. By the use of allusions there is continuous reference to the past in
a very concrete manner. Similarly, his poetry also has many poems which are the true representative of free

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verse. The use of allusions and free verse are the two characteristics of Ghani Khans work, which are the
hallmarks of modernist poetry
The use of allusions: There are many instances in Ghani Khans poetry, where there is reference to the
past incidents, events and persons. T. S. Eliot (1972) while referring to the use of allusions in modern
poetry, in his essay Tradition and Individual talent says that the use of allusions by modernist poets is to
provide a platform to them so to make connection between past and present.
Ghani Khan has actually filled this gap between the past and present which is truly the presence of the
past. He has done this by the use of allusions. The allusions he has used are of different nature. They not
only refer to the historical figures like Majnoon and Laila in his poem Hisab and in Awalsthargistha da
ledokhwara, Farhad and Sherenai in Qismat, Luqman and Nimrod in OwaGulona, SikanderBakht and
Daara in Dua, Umer bi Khayyam in Baora, Mehmood and Ayaz in Hisab, Qismat,
MulaChargag and in Awalsthargistha da ledokhwara, Hazrat Hussain (Raziallaho) and Yazeed in
Taro, Hazrat Bilal (Raziallaho) in Korkora and Mughal king Shah Jehan in Baora but there are also
allusions to Quranic text as well. For example in Jazait is said:
Kho sthajehanbalrangikhai But your universe should be unique
Stha da patosthargokhyal Your decisions are not well-thought
Ajeba di juramekhe Bizarre is the punishment
Pa khonono da wisal Death sentence for the meeting lovers
Lantanalulbirahattathunfiqomimmathuhibbon Lantanalulbirahattathunfiqomimma
Thuhibbon
Free verse: Ghani Khan, famous for his experimentations in the poetic art, made free use of verse libre.
In this regard, Ayub Sabir (n.d.) while talking about the poets, who really promoted free verse in Pashto
literature, says that besides Said Rasool Rasa and FazalSheda, Ghani Khan was the person who did
successful experiments. There are poems where he has used variation in different verses. One such example
is his letter by the name of YahakeemJi, written in the form of a poem to his friend Hakim
SayyidulAbrarFazil. In the first two stanzas of this poem, there are some rhymed verses but the last stanza
is completely devoid of any rhyme. Latoon is another poem where there is no rhyme at all and thus is
perfect example of free verse.
Modernist themes in Ghani Khans poetry: There are a number of modernist themes in his poetry. For
example, the loss of faith and tradition and mistrust of institutions whether religious or governmental.
Theme of Cultural Pessimism: As modernism was a movement that reached its peak in the wake of
World War I, disillusionment and cultural pessimism gripped the whole of the western world. As a result,
its cultural production could not remain unaffected by those horrendous developments. The reasons for
such pessimism in the Subcontinent where Ghani Khan grew up are numerous and they definitely
influenced young Ghani Khan around that historical time. There are many poems of Ghani Khan where
element of pessimism is very dominant. For example, in MraShama, Salam, Dua, Karwan and
Sehra this aspect of pessimism is very well depicted.
In MraShamaGhani Khan depicts human beings as:
Ao da bandamisallaka da khass de Like dry grass human is,
Thoodshi loge okiranrakrijoraCatches heat, omits smoke and turns into a blaze
LambashioswazikhawrierishiConverts into flame, burns and ends up into ashes,
Borraabe pi jarakrijoraMother whose son departs mourns

Similarly, in Salam Ghani Khan mourns the departure of youth in these words:
Na saazshonasozsho Neither was a music composed nor an elegy
Bas hasejwandtamamsho Absurd life met its end
Na khobshonashrangsho Neither saw a dream nor enjoyed music
Na yargulandamsho Nor found a sweetheart
Da thorathorashparaghla And the deep black night approached
Na sthorinaspogmaishi Neither a star appeared nor a moon rose
Zwaniwalaralara Our youths darkened and disappeared
Yao gut aokhali jam sho Single sip finished and the bowl was empty

In Dua, after depicting the scene of this world as full of miseries with no law and no happiness, he ends
this poem with:

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Stharestargi mi ki pate ya Allah Closemy weary eyes, O my Lord

Zama khwakhana da stawaradunya I loathe your entire world
All the above examples suggest that Ghani Khan was inclined towards pessimism with no hope for
improvement. That is why he complains to God and prays to Him to end his life because this world is not
the place where he can live.
Theme of mistrust in religious dogma: The second theme that is very dominant in modernist writers is the
mistrust of religious dogma and governmental institutions of control. In Ghani Khans Poetry, Mullah is the
symbol of corruption and all evils. He is always addressed as someone who is the real cause of all the
confusions in the world.
In such poems as Jannat, Ibadat or Kanidunyakha da the figure of Mullah is the butt of
criticism. Mullahis represented as the one who does nothing but wait for someone to bring him Halwa
and money.
For example, he writes:
Dodighrapmula, jannatimula Gluttonmaulvi, maulvi of heaven
Halwaqabmula, wilayathimula Halwa-loving maulvi, westernized maulvi
Pa peisoqurbanaosattimula Money loving maulvi
Da pulao pa shauqkhwripetimula The maulvi who eats porridge for the taste ofrice pulao
Similarly, in Ibadat Ghani Khan portrays maulvi as the person who worships God, not to please
him but to collect money and eat halwain his name.
Da mulakasab Maulvis occupation
Paseedalaokenastal In performing all rituals,
Da halwa pa armanono For the lust for halwa
Thal Allah Allahkawal Always calling Allah

Besides challenging Maulvi, Ghani Khan also somewhat challenges (complains) God not directly
but indirectly by denying his religious duties. In the poems Qismat, Jaza and Awalsthargistha da
ledokhwara Ghani Khans protest is very apparent. As in Awalsthargistha da ledokhwara he says:
Zakhogulaochamanaosharabpejanam I know blossoms, orchard and wine
Aobaharpejanamaokhazan I know spring and autumn
Zakhoshrangao rung aokababpejanam I know melody, color and kabab
Na gunahpejanamaonashethan But what I dont know is sin and devil

This is another way of expressing his philosophy of Epicureanism, of eating, drinking, and merry-
making. In Qismat he is more direct to make God realize His rough treatment of His creation when he
says:
Lewaninahafa ma shiderqurban sham Dont be annoyed with this fool
Aksarodaghe da khar pa zaikulal But You often punish the one who is guiltless
It is reminiscent of Iqbals famous poem Shikwa where he complains to God of all the ills happening in
the world especially to the Muslims.

2. MODERNIST IMAGERY IN GHANI KHANS POETRY

i. The use of sensual words: After going through the three books of Ghani Khans poetry, it was
observed that the language used by Ghani Khan is not ordinary language but more romantic and more
alluring e.g. the use of words like lips, kissing, wine, heart, zulf(tresses), masti(liveliness), music,
youth, moth and candle. Some time he is more direct to give reference to sexual aspects of language.
For example, in his poem Waimulajanhe refers to the sensuous bodies of hoors:
Waimulajanche pa jannatkihoripande di Says maulvi, in heaven there are hoors
Ghatighati, spenispeniaoberbandi di With enormous, white and nude bodies

In the same poem, after discussing maulvis love for hoors and his desires for sex, he addresses
maulviand says that if you are talking about hoors and their beauty then at the same time in heaven there
will be ghelmanwho will have their eyes on your daughters and mothers. After pointing out the harsh
realities of heaven to the maulvi, he tells him that if you still desire heaven then may God bless you with it.
The scene is depicted as:
Masthmasthhalakan chi ba hum khkuli hum kharabwi

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Gora mulagi ta di chi las ye derlageerakri

Ta bawerlagoriaohagha be derlatherakri
Aolunra di ranesi, la morderla p makhakri
Tolakhelkhanabaderlagermakriaoyakhakri
Daghakajannatwimularab de werlabozazar

Boys hot, handsome and ugly

Look maulviwhen ten of them grab your women
You will see and he will make her pregnant
And will grab your daughter and will follow your mother
They will have all your family
If that is heaven then God bless you with it

ii. The imagistic setting: Furthermore, Ghani Khans use of language is full of images where the
readers are left with heap of scattered images. They are so much abundantly used that almost every
poem has some sorts of images. In fact his entire poetry solidifies by the use of images and dissolves in
imagism. To substantiate this statement, lets examine a few lines from Ghani Khans poem Caravan.
It is said:
Jwandaoqarar, ooraooba di, naba yeo zyeshina yeo zyekegi
Tyra aonooryao da baljor di, dasibateerashi da chi teeregi
Laka da sind da jwand hum lar da, kala pa ghraki kala medanki
Banda ajab, ajabpeda de, kor ye pa khawrakizye ye asmanki

Life and comfort like fire and water will never assimilate
Darkness and light though made of each other will follow their paths and not merge
Like river life also has its path, sometime in mountains sometime in planes
Human, a born strange dwelling on earth with a place in the sky

In the above mention lines, the images of fire and water, darkness and light, mountain and planes earth and
sky, are abundantly used. These images though scattered and fragmented, help in the interpretation of the
two opposite poles i.e. life and death. Here, the readers, as famous of most of modernist writers, are
instigated to search for the scattered images and form the meaning.
iii. Symbolism: In terms of the use of symbolism, his poetry is truly modernist. There are many
symbols in Ghani Khans poetry e.g. poppy and mullah. He has used poppy for the sterile and useless
life. It is said in one of his poems Reidi Gul where the poppy replies to the poet as:
In your garden, there are thousands of flowers like me
A nameless droplet in a nameless sea.
You too, in your desert, dont feel forlorn,
To behold you at last shall come a sore
(RafayMehmood, 2011)
In the same way mullah is also used as a symbol of corruption. In many poems, mullah is
represented as someone who is the root cause of corruption, senselessness and dishonesty. While depicting
the hypocrisy and senselessness of mullah, Ghani Khan says:
Dwarastargay de randeydee You are blind
Da bal bad da zaankhawaye Blaming others, praising yourself
Tal ainakezantagorey Always looking in the mirror
Da yaarnaweneysingaar Unable to see the beauty of the beloved
Here mullah is represented as a symbol of hypocrisy and self-love. It is said that mullah is always
concerned about his own self while ignoring the others; therefore, Ghani Khan has turned him into an
eternal symbol of all such negative traits and weak and self-centered human character.

3. CONCLUSION

Though there is no dearth of critiques of Ghani Khans poetry, the researchers of this brief study
realized that at least in one area there is ample scope of further studies, that is, investigating Pushto poetry
with reference to such influential cultural movements as modernism and postmodernism. During the course

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of this paper, the researchers have also realized that,besides Ghani Khan there are many other poets like
Hashim Babar, FazliHaqSheda and SayyedRasool Rasa whose work can also be studied from modernist
perspective. Bringing modernist/postmodernist perspectives on the literature in our regional and national
languages can open up further avenues of thought and research and in this way the rich heritage of local
literature can be brought into global focus.

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