Ghalib’s writings, especially his unique way of writing ghazals, have thoroughly fascinated generations of Urdu lovers in the subcontinent and across the globe. His poetry is one of those rarest creations that can never face the threat of being dated or extinct. The life and times of Ghalib have been thoroughly researched and written about on both smaller and larger canvases. But Ghalib’s unique creativity and its deep impact on readers’ hearts and minds have resulted every now and then into someone setting out to do it all over again, with a different perspective.
The Evolution of Ghalib presents the finest pieces of Urdu ghazals in a systematic and chronological order. From Wali Deccani and through Meer, Zouq, Momin and right down to Daagh, all those great lives have been described by others in their own different idioms. In The Evolution of Ghalib, the author, Hasan Abdullah, provides a detailed introduction that describes Ghalib’s life history, brings out his persona and situates his work in time and space. The...
