In Search of Self and Knowledge: Reading Jaun Eliyā’s Poetry
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Abstract
The Urdu poet Jaun Eliyā (often spelled Elia) (1931–2002) has found posthumous fame in the past decades, especially thanks to his ġhazals and to widespread recordings of his performances in mushāʿarahs (gatherings of poets), now available on YouTube and other platforms. Less known is the more philosophical aspect of his poetry. Jaun Eliyā’s work is pervaded by reflections on time, the nature of the self, consciousness and the (im)possibility of knowledge. Through a close reading of five selected poems, I examine how Jaun Eliyā leans on familiar topoi and images to present an original poetic quest for self and meaning. At the core of his quest lie the notions of certainty (yaqīn) and conjecture (gumān) and a skeptical approach to human perception and understanding.
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In Search of Self and Knowledge: Reading Jaun Eliyā’s Poetry
In: Journal of Urdu StudiesSearch for other papers by Rosine-Alice Vuille in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The Urdu poet Jaun Eliyā (often spelled Elia) (1931–2002) has found posthumous fame in the past decades, especially thanks to his ġhazals and to widespread recordings of his performances in mushāʿarahs (gatherings of poets), now available on YouTube and other platforms. Less known is the more philosophical aspect of his poetry. Jaun Eliyā’s work is pervaded by reflections on time, the nature of the self, consciousness and the (im)possibility of knowledge. Through a close reading of five selected poems, I examine how Jaun Eliyā leans on familiar topoi and images to present an original poetic quest for self and meaning. At the core of his quest lie the notions of certainty (yaqīn) and conjecture (gumān) and a skeptical approach to human perception and understanding.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 186 | 186 | 9 |
| Full Text Views | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 28 | 28 | 2 |