Farri Shayar's Blog - Posts Tagged "ghazal"

Urdu poetry has had its ups and downs. However, history has given us some renowned names and amazing poets who stirred the hearts down to the very core. Many of these poets wrote a number of different books and rose to fame for their stunning verses and amazing relation with the actual world. Of the hundreds of Urdu poets who have made their name, some really stand out thanks to their extraordinary work. Here we discuss 15 most famous Urdu poets of all time, who have left their mark on the world.

The poet often East deserves the first mention. His ghazals and poetry are exemplary and unmatched even to this day. The amazing poet wrote many of his books in Persian and some in Urdu, but all have been translated into different languages over the years. Some of his famous books include the Asrar e Khuda, Javed Nama that was dedicated to his son and the unmatched stunner Bal e Jibril, which is quoted, loved and praised till present time.

Born in September 1723, Meer Taqi Meer or Meer Muhammad Taqi as was his real name was the leading poet of the 18th century. He is known to shape the Urdu language itself and give it the beautiful completeness. He was one of the most prominent poets at the Delhi school of Urdu ghazal. He went on to write Faiz-e-Mir a storybook about the Sufis written for his son, Kulliyat-e-Mir, consisting of 6 volumes of stunning poetry and Kulliyat-e-Farsi a broad collection of his verses and poems in Persian.

Mirza Ghalib

Of course, no discussion can continue without the mention of the famous Ghalib and his romance filled verses that any young or old person can relate to even now. He was born on 27 December 1797. The Mughals were afflicted by the British during his time which he portrays in his poetry. He has also written a number of ghazals sung in different language around the world. He was considered the most influential poet of his time. Some of the honors given to him include the Dabur-ul-Mulk and Najm-ud-daula. Deewan e Ghalib is the yet so famous collection of poetry by Mirza Ghalib.  

Akbar Allahbadi

This poet was born on November 16, 1846, and his real name was Akbar Hussain Rizvi. Allahbadi rose to success in a short time and is remembered as one of the finest poets of the era. He is considered as the pioneer of sarcasm and humor in poetry which sets his poetry apart from the other poets of the time.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Born on 13 February 1911 in Sialkot, Faiz Ahmed Faiz was known for his intellect and his stunning writing. He was even nominated for the Nobel peace prize for literature. All of his work is worth mentioning but some great ones are the Naqash-e-faryadi, the Dast-e-Sabah, and the Zindan-nama.

Ahmed Faraz

He was an iconic poet of the 19th century and wrote seductively romantic poetry that was the popular compositions of love letters of the tie and are often used even to this day. He was awarded the sitara-e-Imtiaz and the Hilal-e-Pakistan for his incredible services to Urdu poetry. His popular literary works include Pas-e-Andaz-e-Mausam and Shehr-e-Sukhan Arasta Hai. His verses are some of the most commonly used shers in everyday life even today.

Momin Khan Momin

Known by his book, Dewaan-e-momin, the poetic works are included in Pakistan’s Urdu curriculum. Many ghazals have made it through to the young generation and the rich charisma serves to infatuate your minds just as much as the old ones. He was born in 1800 and died at a young age of 51.

Khawaja Meer Dard

Khawaja Meer Dard is the pillar of Urdu ghazal. He was a renowned poet and is known for his short ‘shers’ and ghazals and different pieces that are portrayed at the right moments. He was born in 1721 and have contributed enormously to Urdu poetry.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

You must have heard the name of this poet. He was one of the last Mughal emperors and is known for his heart-wrenching poetry. Much of his poetry reflects the pain that the English inflicted on him while he was held captive.

Ameer Minai

Known by his book, Meena-e-Sukhan, Ameer Minai was certainly a big name of his time. His takhalus was Ameer and he penned down a number of verses that have touched hearts since. He was born in 1826 and died in 1900, giving us a whole array of beautiful poetry and verses to remember him with.

Parveen Shakir

She is one of the few female poets who rose to ultimate fame. Parveen Shakir was born on 24th November 1952 and touched the heights of popularity with her first publication, ‘Khushbu’. She then went on to write a number of other books including the Khud Kalami, Inkaar, and Kaf-e-Aina. She was also a column writer and was given the pride of performance for her services to Urdu literature.

Mohsin Naqvi

Initially, a food vendor, Mohsin Naqvi was born on 5th may 1947. He was different from other Urdu poets and wrote freely about controversial topics such as Karbala. His poetry was widely admired across Pakistan. Some of his known works include the Azaab-e-Deed, Khaima-e-Jaan, and Haq-e-Aeliya.

Jaun Elia

John Elia was one of the legendary Urdu poet and philosopher. He was born on 14th December 1931 and is known for unconventional ways. He was also given the pride of performance in 2000. His poetry collections include Shayad, Ya’ani, Lekin, and Goyaa.

Ibn-e-Insha

This is one name that is repeated through history and remembered in text books. Ibn-e-Insha was born on 15th January 1927 and is one of the best humorists that Urdu literature has ever seen. His unique language style resembled Ameer Khusro and was a complex of Hindi and Urdu. His stunning pieces are an inspiration to young poets, even to this day.

Amjad Islam Amjad

This Urdu poet is one of the modern names that rose to fame. He wrote lots of poetry and is known for his contribution to screenplay and drama writing. He was born in Lahore in the then British India and went on to write different poetic pieces and stunning screen writes. Some of his notable works include ‘Itnay Khwab Kahan Rakhoon’ and ‘Hum Us Kay Hain’.