Arabic Poetry: Guzzle a Ghazal!
IntroductionThe Bedouins of ancient Arabia and Persia made poetry
a conversational art form. Several poetic forms developed from the participatory
nature of tribal poetry. Today in most Arabic cultures, you may still experience
public storytelling and spontaneous poetry challenges in the streets. The art
of turning a rhyme into sly verbal sparring is considered a mark of intelligence
and a badge of honor. The ghazal (pronounced "guzzle") is an intricate
pre-Islamic poetic form that is thought to have developed through the practice
of poetic challenges. It is a series of couplets, called shers, no more
than a dozen or so, which are related, but not connecting in a narrative pattern.
The first couplet, or matla, has a rhyme pattern, kaafiyaa, preceding
a single word or short phrase refrain, radif, at the end of each line.
Thereafter, every couplet shows a pattern wherein the first line doesn't rhyme,
but the second line ends in the kaafiyaa and the radif. Finally,
the last couplet, the maqta, contains the takhallis, the
poet's name or pen-name. This complex structure requires careful insights
and an understanding of irony and word-play. It dates to pre-Islamic times, yet
remains current, forming the lyrical base of much popular music in India, Iraq,
and Iran. Students will enjoy discovering the rules of ghazal writing through
observation and inference. Guiding QuestionsWhat is a ghazal,
how did it evolve, and why has it remained a popular form of Arabic poetry until
today? What elements and structures does this pre-Islamic poetic form contain?
How does the rhyming pattern of the ghazal compare to that of common forms
of poetry in English? Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this
lesson, students will be able to: - experience an Arabic poetic form
- identify the elements Shayar, sher, beher, matla, radif, kaafiyaa,
takhallis, and maqta associated with a ghazal
- recognize
the structure of a ghazal as a series of discrete couplets using rhyme
and refrain in the second line of each couplet, and in which the author makes
a self-reference in the final couplet, by observing similarities among three sample
ghazals
- speculate about the origin of the form and suggest reasons
for the structure
- appreciate the craft of incorporating word-play in
writing a ghazal in order to retain interest in the refrain or to change
the meaning of the refrain in context
Preparing to teach this LessonReview
some general information on poetic form: - Some types of poems that
have rules determining the way they must be written are: haiku, sonnets, couplets,
cinquains, ode, and limerick
- Some of the rules that determine the form
of the poem are: number of lines, rhyme scheme, number of syllables, meter, and
content.
- Some kinds of rhymes in poetry are: end rhyme, internal rhyme,
hard and soft rhyme, and near or slant rhyme.
- Rhyme schemes are defined
by abba, aabb, etc.
- A repeated line, phrase, or word at the end of a
stanza is called a refrain.
To become familiar with the terms and
the form of a ghazal, read "What
is a Ghazal?", an essay by Abhay Avachat, available through the EDSITEment-reviewed
resource Academy of American Poets. American
poet Agha Shahid Ali also explains the ghazal succinctly as follows: A
poem of five to fifteen couplets. The name rhymes with "guzzle." No enjambment
between couplets. Think of each couplet as a separate poem, in which the first
line serves the function of the octave of a Petrarchan sonnet and the second line
the sestet-that is, there must be a turn, or volta, between lines 1 and
2 of each couplet. Thus, certain kinds of enjambments would not work even WITHIN
the couplets, the kind that would lead to a caesura in line 2. One must have a
sense that line 2 is amplifying line 1, turning things around, surprising us. Once
again, ABSOLUTELY no enjambment between couplets-each couplet must be like a precious
stone that can shine even when plucked from the necklace though it certainly has
greater luster in its setting. What links these couplets is a strict formal
scheme. (I am speaking of the canonical form of the ghazal, shaped by the
Persians in, I believe, the twelfth century.) This is how it works: The entire
ghazal employs the same rhyme and refrain. The rhyme must always immediately
precede the refrain. If the rhyme is merely buried somewhere in the line, that
will have its charm, of course, but it would not lead to the wonderful pleasure
of IMMEDIATE recognition which is central to the ghazal, The refrain may
be a word or phrase. Each line must be of the same length (inclusive of
the rhyme and refrain). In Urdu and Persian, all the lines are usually in the
same meter and have the same metrical length. So establish some system-metrical
or syllabic-for maintaining consistency in line lengths. The last couplet
may be (and usually is) a signature couplet in which the poet may invoke his/her
name in the first, second, or third person. The scheme of rhyme and refrain
occurs in BOTH lines of the first couplet (that is how one learns what the scheme
is), and then in only the second line of every succeeding couplet (that is, the
first line of every succeeding couplet has no restrictions other than to maintain
the syllabic or metrical length. There is an epigrammatic terseness in the
ghazal, but with immense lyricism, evocation, sorrow, heartbreak, wit.
What defines the ghazal is a constant longing. This is what a ghazal
looks like: Couplet one: ______________________________rhyme
A + refrain ______________________________rhyme A + refrain Couplet
Two, Three, & so on: ____________________________________________ ______________________________rhyme
A + refrain Here are some opening and concluding couplets of mine: Example
A: I say That, after all, is the trick of it all When
suddenly you say "Arabic of it all." For Shahid too the night went
quickly as it came. After that, O Friend, came the music of it all.
Example B: What will suffice for a true love knot? Even the rain? But
he has bought grief's lottery, bought even the rain. They've found
the knife that killed you, but whose prints are these? No one has
such small hands, Shahid, not even the rain. Example C: Suspended
in the garden, Time, bit by bit, shines- As you lean over this page,
late and alone, it shines. Mark how Shahid returns your very words
to you. It's when the heart, still unbriefed, but briefly literature,
shines. Example D: Where are you now? Who lies beneath
your spell tonight Before you agonize him in farewell tonight? And
I, Shahid, only am escaped to tell thee- God sobs in my arms. Call
me Ishmael tonight.
Select the following three sample ghazals,
available through the EDSITEment-reviewed resource Academy
of American Poets from a search on ghazal: - Ghazal of
the Better-Unbegun by Heather McHugh (to access this poem, search for the
title on Find a Poem)
- Ghazal:
for Donald [sic] Hall (The title is actually "Ghazal" for Daniel Hall)
- Ghazal
Suggested Activities1: Recipe for Rhyme 2:
Defining the Ghazal 3: Group Ghazal! 1:
Recipe for Rhyme Ask students: Does COW rhyme with FEW or BURROW?
Does CAKE rhyme with ATTACK? Yet in Arabic poetry, these might be acceptable rhymes.
Explain that Arabic poetry uses a different form of rhyme than English poetry.
Arabic poets sometimes need only end in the same syllable or even letter to call
it rhyme. Distribute the first ghazal. Ask students to read aloud, taking
turns for each couplet, so that the discreteness of the shers is emphasized
through voice, while the radif is made obvious because each speaker ends
in the same word. Have students identify the patterns they observe and devise
a rhyme scheme formula through inference. They should arrive at the formula defined
by Ali: Couplet one: ______________________________rhyme A
+ refrain ______________________________rhyme A + refrain Couplet
Two, Three, & so on: ____________________________________________ ______________________________rhyme
A + refrain Distribute the other two ghazals and ask them to determine
whether the authors have observed the basic "rhyming rules" of the ghazal. 2:
Defining the Ghazal After having completed Lesson One, ask
students to observe similarities among the three ghazals; they should conclude
that the first couplet always repeats the rhyme and refrain, and the last couplet
always contains the poet's name. Tell them the poet is referred to as the Shayar,
the equivalent of the speaker. Have them speculate as to why this structure was
established. After students finish sharing responses, explain if necessary that
ancient Arabic poetry was often a public event and group participation was encouraged.
One theory states that the opening couplet repeats the rhyme and refrain so that
everyone participating hears it twice and is certain of it; the final stanza belongs
to the poet who initiated the ghazal, so he claims credit after so many
have participated by including his name. Next, encourage students to discuss
the relationship of the couplets within a ghazal. They should conclude
that the couplets do not link, but are related only by the pattern of rhyme and
refrain, as well as a theme. Advanced students may notice also that there is no
enjambment between lines, and that the second line seems to respond to the first
line. Have the students combine their learnings to arrive at a final, single-sentence
definition of the ghazal as a series of independent couplets, of which
the first couplet defines the rhyme pattern and refrain in both lines, remaining
couplets use the same rhyme and refrain in the second line, and the last couplet
mentions the author's name. Note: this activity can be enriched for World
Literature classes by teaching them the Arabic terms and having them use these
terms in their discussion. 3:
Group Ghazal! In groups of four, students compose a ghazal
in a round-robin activity for a total of thirteen shers, beginning and
ending with the same Shayar, or poet. The group should decide on the radif,
but the Shayar can choose the kaafiyaa. Allow thirty minutes for
composition; then have groups read their ghazal round robin. Extending
this Lesson - Ask students to research other Arabic forms of poetry
such as the qasida or the rithá', or famous Arabic poets and their
influence on Arabic literature.
- Have students locate more works by Agha
Shahid Ali and present a report on his life and his poetry.
- Have students
do a Google search on ghazal to find other examples of ghazals.
- Ask
students to compose their own ghazal to read aloud or present on
a poster for the class.
Selected EDSITEment Websites: Academy
of American Poetshttp://www.poets.org
Standards Alignment
View your state’s standards
|