Cw ghazal
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THE GHAZAL
Transcript of Cw ghazal
THE GHAZAL
THE WHAT?
a Persian poetry form
takes its name from the Arabic word meaning “the talk of boys and girls”
in other words, flirting or sweet talk
WHAT’S A GHAZAL?
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Easy to singRelatively short
ThemesLoveDrinking wine
WHY WERE THEY POPULAR?
Written in pairs of 5- 15 long-lined coupletsRepetition exists through refrain called radifA refrain (a repeated word or phrase) appears at the end of both lines of the first couplet and at the end of the second line in each succeeding couplet.
Rhyme called a qafia is often, not always, usedis preceded by the couplet’s rhyming word
appears twice in the first couplet
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE FORM?
Each couplet/line is able to stand on its own, like a proverb can.Ralph Waldo Emerson criticized the ghazal because this aspect made them feel disjointed
Look at a ghazal like a piece of musicEach line adds something to a whole thought
Does not need to be a story that makes sense
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE FORM?
The subject is mystical That just means it inspires fascination, awe, or mystery
Loss and love are still popular topicsIn the old Persian form, poets included their last names in the last couplet. You can do this, too.Called a “signature stanza”
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THE FORM?
EXAMPLES
Highlight the radif in each example.
Does the poet use a qafia?Examine topic… what does it make you think?
Can each line/couplet stand on its own?
WHAT TO LOOK FOR…
TIME TO TRY IT! WRITE YOUR OWN.
Write 5-15 couplets.Use a radifChallenge yourself to try using a qafia
No enjambment. Each couplet stands on it’s own.
Keep you lines long like in the examples.
THE GHAZAL RULES
