Adil Najam
Today, December 26, marks the death anniversaries of both Parveen Shakir and Munir Niazi. Two great voices in Pakistani poetry.
In idiom, in metaphor and in demeanor they were were different poets. But both were voices of defiance whose metaphor was romanticism but whose subject were the harsh (talkh is a much more expressive word) realities of life. There are a number of reviews of the poetic legacies of both at ATP and I hope you will read them:
Munir Niazi: here, here, and here;
Parveen Shakir: here, here and here.
For now, let me only leave you with a video rendition of each… something to remember them with on this day (first video is of Parveen Shakir, and the second of Munir Niazi). Other great works by both are included in the posts mentioned above.
Thanks for a timely celebration of these two great poets, their voices make us proud to be Pakistani: land of great poets .
It is actually quite amazing that we have had such a great legacy of poets in Pakistan. I only wonder whether we have a new generation of Parveen Shakirs and Munir Niazis in the country.
Thank you for this timely reminder.
I spent the last half hour rekindling my memories of these two great poets.
I still think that Munir Niazi’s “hamaisha daer kar daita houn mein” is one of the greatest poems in Urdu
Two great poets whose poetry will live on after them.
uss nay khosboo ki tarah meri pazeerai ki
Parveen Shakir is the greatest female poet Pakistan has produced.