February 4 marks the birth anniversary of one of the most overlooked poets of Kashmir, Agha Shahid Ali. Considered as one of the greatest poets to rise out of Kashmir, he remains relatively unknown to many back home. Perhaps we failed to recognize his creative longing for Kashmir.
In his poetic series A Nostalgist’s Map of America (1991), Agha Shahid uses a map as a metaphor for longing for his homeland. It is a remarkable rumination on the themes of loss, displacement and identity.
In this work, Agha Shahid explores the lives of immigrants and the ways in which their experiences shape the larger American narrative. Through a series of travels via muddled landscapes, traversing between America and reminiscences of Kashmir, it is a deeply touching and beautifully written anthology that is both personal and political, and remains one of the essential treasures of postcolonial poetry.
Known as the ‘poet of exile’, Agha Shahid grapples with his sense of sorrowful nostalgia. The map becomes a symbol of his journey through life, as he navigates through his memories and emotions.
The poems narrate the longing for a place that is familiar and reassuring. Agha Shahid uses the image of a map to explore the theme of absence and anguish. The map is both a reminder of the places he has left behind and a symbol of his battle to come to terms with the loss of his loved ones. The imagery he creates with his words is dramatic and evocative, capturing the essence of his nostalgia about past—
A time to recollect
every shadow, everything the earth was losing,
a time to think of everything the earth
and I had lost, of all
that I would lose,
of all that I was losing. (Snow on the Desert)
Set in Kashmir, his other famous work The Country Without a Post Office is once more a meditation on the longing and grief that he felt for his homeland. An allegory, Agha Shahid reflects on the existential emptiness that comes with being a stranger in a strange land—
The country is an exile’s dream
An envelope with no address
A letter that never arrives….
The use of metaphor and allusion creates a sense of dreamlike emptiness, evoking the sense of grievance and the search for identity. The imagery he creates with his words is emotively beautiful, painting a picture of a place caught between hope and despair.
The repetition of the refrain ‘Where is my country, where?’ is a recurring reminder of the poet’s loss and longing. It is a powerful representation of the human experience of hurt, and the endeavor to find meaning in a world that has changed beyond recognition—
Another ends: “The skin dissolves in dew
without your touch.” And I want to answer:
I want to live forever. What else can I say?
It rains as I write this. Mad heart, be brave…
Almost all the poetry of Agha Shahid depicts the idea of home and belonging. Kashmir is trickling in every verse of his, directly as well as subtly.
Conveying the pain and the beauty of the memories that remain, he blends various forms in his graceful free-verse; and sings about the spaces that define us, and the ways in which our sense of identity is shaped by our surroundings.
His mastery of form and language and experimentation with different styles, including ghazals, sonnets and villanelles is a unique way to connect with the rich cultural heritage of his homeland, and to preserve the legacy of his ancestors.
By use of amazing imagery, musical rhythms and mystical symbols, Agha Shahid creates a world that is both familiar and strange simultaneously; capturing the essence of human experience with a lingering lyricism, a deep understanding of classical poetry, and a gifted brain at blending diverse cultures and traditions.
Regardless of his ill-fated death in 2001, he remains one of the most valuable figures in contemporary South Asian literature. His work carries a legacy that has the power to inspire a whole new generation of poets and writers in Kashmir.
But even on this day, we as Kashmiri, fail to acknowledge his exceptional creative genius. The person, who devoted his life to the art of poetry resonating Kashmir, is still not given his due. It’s high time that Kashmir recalls him and gives his work the recognition it deserves.
On this day and for all days to come, let’s celebrate the life and legacy of Agha Shahid Ali—a true unsung creative hero of Kashmir lest we are betrayed by our collective memory. Remember, in the words of Agha Shahid, “the past is happening quickly”—
We are driving slowly, the road is glass.
“Imagine where we are was a sea once.
Just imagine!” The sky is relentlessly
sapphire, and the past is happening quickly…
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.