Ghazal

Ghazal

1. Meaning

   • Ghazal is a love poem in which one person seeks to attract the attention of another.
   • The poem seems to be expressing an unrequited love but it is unclear.

2. Imagery

   • Natural Imagery
     • Natural Imagery is used to show the importance of the subject of the poem to the narrator, she cannot put into words how wonderful he is so therefore expresses her feelings by comparing him to nature.
       • If I am the grass and you are the breeze blow through me.
   • Metaphor
     • If mine is the venomous tongue, the serpents tail, charmer, use your charm, weave a spell and subdue me.
       • The use of this metaphor is a reference to the readers about the powerful nature of love and its ability to transform or subdue a venomous snake.
   • Juxstaposition
     • The use of juxtaposition is positive as it shows to opposites that complement each other and the reader is meant to see that it is almost destiny for them to be together.
       • If you are the rhyme and I the refrain.

3. Tone

   • The tone of the poem is nostalgic and sadness, as it tells the story of the narrators longing for the subject of the poem, some of the stanzas are positive as the imagery is positive however overall the poem is nostalgic.

4. Structure

   • It follows the traditional Ghazal structure and is made up of two line stanzas or couplets, in the case of this poem each separate stanza allows the readers to see each different stanza as a different element of the narrators love.

5. Language

   • References to parts of the body
     • You are the arms around my bark, the arms that never knew me
       • The use referencing parts at the body implies the narrators physical wishes with the subject of the poem, it also gives an impression of longing and need to the readers and shows us her physical desires.
   • No colloquial or dialectic
     • The fact that no colloquial or dialectic language is used is very intentional on the writers behalf, it ensures we take the importance of these words seriously and how there is no straying from this subject throughout the poem.