Pakistaniness in Taufiq Rafat's Selected Poems

Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-9, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Pakistaniness in Taufiq Rafat’s Selected Poems Hazrat Hayat Department of English, International Islamic University, Islamabad Abstract : Pakistani literature, since the writing of British English writers, reflects Independence, has come a long way from its early in the writing of these Indian English writers roots in post-independence English writings in the and it continued till 1947. After the partition, subcontinent. Over some 50 years or so, it has Indian writers felt the need to pay attention to evolved from its imitative, slavish cast into an the Indian culture, tradition, symbolism and original and rather dynamic mode. Today it has a imagery in order to make their own identity in distinctive ‘Pakistani’ color, or flavor, different literary world. They developed a new type of from that of other English literatures being poetry which is an epitome of their culture, written in other former colonies where English tradition, identity and what else they had in was introduced initially by the colonizers but was their society. The well-known and recognized soon adapted into “native” or “local” cultural writers who became the pioneers of this new ethos. Pakistani English literature claims to have type of English poetry include: Nissim Ezekiel, its own idiom reflecting Pakistani culture, KekinDaruwal, P. Lal, Dom Moraes, Kamala society, and mannerism (Dr: Munawwar Iqbal, Das, Gieve Patel and others. Dr: Safeer Awan, Kashmir journal of language research, 2011). The English literature written in Unlike India, in Pakistan, Poetic writing in this part of the Sub-continent tends to achieve English started later for English education its own color from 1970’s; different from that reached this part of the Sub-Continent later written in other parts of the world. Pakistani than that of India where in 1827, they started English literature just like Indian English writing poetry in English with the establishment literature realized very later that the main of English education centers and missionary objective of the literature is to depict what one schools. After the partition, in Pakistan, when encounters throughout one’s life and that it is English became the language of instructions not something like building castles in the air or a and official use along with Urdu, writers like shot in the dark. This idea emerged with Taufiq Ahmed Ali, Shahid Hossain, Zulfikar Ghose Rafat who created a distinctive idiom for who were later joined by Maki Kureshi, Kaleem Pakistani poets; later it became the standard. Omar, Salman Tarik Kureshi, and Daud Kamal, In this paper, the poems (“Arrival of the started composing poetry in English language. Monsoon” and “Kitchens”) under discussion In the early stages they also followed the indicate that the images employed by Taufiq British English writers like Indian writers did Rafat are culture-specific and different from that and took time to understand that they also had of Western images. These images could not be a distinct culture, tradition, and colors to fill applied to other parts of the world for they their pictures with. This idea emerged with are found only in Pakistani society. Taufiq Rafat in 1960s but became popular in 1970s. Taufiq Rafat introduced a distinctive Introduction idiom known as ‘Pakistani Idiom’ which became The English literature that has been developed a standard for Pakistani poets to compose poetry and evolved in Pakistan by Pakistani or in, that can reflect Pakistani society, culture, Pakistani diaspora writers is known as tradition and ideology. “According to Taufiq ‘Pakistani Literature in English’ (Google Rafat, poetry emanates from the very land in Wikipedia). Before the partition of the Sub- which it is written. The cultural substratum continent (1947), a number of English that gives anchorage to its roots remains a educated Indians were writing in English, for variable source from which it gains instance, Kashi Prasad Ghose, Michael nourishment and defines the self of the Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, poet.”(Asma Mansoor IIUI, Pakistaniat, A Manmohan Ghose, Sri Aurobindo, Sarojini journal of Pakistan studies, vol 4, 2012). The Naidu, Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, and landscape, the seasons, the smells, the Shahid Suhrawardi. Though, they depicted characters, these are all local and give the Indian Society, in style they followed British very essence of Pakistani society and culture English writers. The mode of feelings, (Sarwat Ali: ‘Our Best English poet’, 2009). emotions, and expressions they had found in “Pakistani literature claims to have its own idiom reflecting Pakistani culture, society and Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1638 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-9, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in mannerism. It also has its own symbols, has pattern for composing poetry that is being emerged more visibly in Pakistani poetry followed after him. There are many critics who than fiction, and no other Pakistani poet has have worked on different aspects of his poetry, contributed more, in shaping a distinct but unfortunately those works are not easily Pakistani idiom, than, Taufiq Rafat” accessible. However, their comments are (Munawwar Iqbal and Safeer Awan ‘IIUI’ helpful to understand what they have found 2011; Ksahmir Journal of language in his poetry. Some of them are, Sajjad research).The imagery of Taufiq Rafat reflects Hussain, Tariq Rahman, Alamgir Hashmi, Pakistani society. His poetic style, imagery Athar Tahir, Zia Mohyeddin, Kaleem Omar, and symbolism are exactly related to the Imran Aslam, Khalid Ahmed, and Sarwat Ali. context of Pakistan. He has not sacrificed Dr. Munawwar Iqbal, Dr. Safeer Awan and his idea for the sake of rhyme scheme. For Asma Mansoor(IIUI), have also written some him content is more important than form. He has articles about Taufiq Rafat. depicted the true picture of Pakistani society by using natural imagery like animals, flowers, Zia Mohyeddin appreciated Taufiq for the grass, birds, insects, and seasons (Tariq language he uses in poetry. He also said that the Rahman). TaufiqRafat’s distinctive idiom can be words he chooses are up to the mark. Renowned observed in his collection of poems “Arrival of writer Kaleem Omar said that Taufiq Rafat was the Moonsoon” comprising of 116 poems. The a poet of the language who had a complete images of kites, pigeons, gliding, rainy water, control over the description of his thoughts and mud, clouds, all represent Pakistani culture. feelings. A renowned critic Khalid Ahmed Many Pakistani poets follow his style and commented that Rafat could not be judged so distinctive idiom. The most famous of his easily merely by his poetry as he always poems are: Soil, The People, Raindrops, avoided the awkward display of images. Rain, Seasons, Pigeons, Lights, Eid, Ramadan, M.Tahir Athar, a well-known writer and a Mango Trees, Grass, Loneliness, Family, Aunts disciple of Taufiq is of the opinion that he was a Uncles and Cousins. Regarding his distinctive creative writer and a real carpenter of nature. style and language that show Pakistani culture, Almgir Hashmi and Muneeza Shamsi also language, society, traditions and religion, he appreciated Taufiq Rafat for his distinctiveness has been rightly called the Ezra Pound of and being the representative of his own culture, Pakistan by Imran Aslam, one of his disciples. tradition, religion and society. Sarwat Ali in his essay writes that everything in Taufiq Rafat’s There is no such article or book available poetry was local and within the context of regarding the work of Taufiq Rafat and any Pakistani culture. other Pakistani poet, that can help the students of Pakistani English literature except some general So much work has been done on different review-articles by Scholars like Dr: Safeer Awan aspects of Taufiq Rafat’s poetry like language, (IIUI), Dr: Munawwar Iqbal (IIUI), Asma themes, symbolism etc. Our Respected Mansoor (IIUI), Dr: Tariq Rahman, and some teachers Dr: Munawwar Iqbal and Dr: Safeer chapters from the pen of Alamgir Hashmi. These Awan have written an article “Eastern works are indeed valuable, but it is very difficult Symbolism and the recovery of the selfhood in to get access to these and a lot more works by Taufiq Rafat’s Arrival of the Moonsoon” but prominent scholars. So, this paper will be a my study will be limited to two poems of humble attempt to describe the imagery Taufiq Rafat with the objective to find how employed by Taufiq Rafat in ‘Two’ of his and what imagery is specific to our culture in famous poems—“Arrival of the Monsoon” and Taufiq Rafat’s poetry, and how he has “Kitchens”. Although this study does not cover established a different style from that of native the whole range and variety of the poet’s English writers. imagery, yet I hope some students who are interested in Pakistani English poetry; they will Hypothesis find it a ray of hope as only a few review-articles are available on Internet, which hardly help the The imagery employed by Taufiq Rafat is students, and they, most of the times, get in Culture-specific and reflects Pakistani culture trouble to find relevant work to their field. and society. Literature Review Taufiq Rafat is a distinguished poet among Research Questions Pakistani poets. He has won a name for his great work in poetry. He has established a new Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1639 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-9, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in • What culture-specific imagery has These images collected from the poems are been employed by Taufiq Rafat in to be analyzed in order to see how Rafat has his selected poems? used them to depict Pakistani culture.

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