Women's Day Special: Parveen Shakir’s Feminism and Femininity
This week in Daak:
1. Women’s Day Special: Parveen Shakir’s Feminism and Femininity
2. Special Gifts for the Special Women in Your Life
3. Daak Recommends
1. Women’s Day Special: Parveen Shakir’s Feminism and Femininity
Although Parveen Shakir’s poetry is wildly popular across the subcontinent, she has often been excluded from feminist canons due to her overt femininity and romanticism; Her debut poetry collection, Khushbu, with its focus on love, longing and heartbreak expressed through soft metaphors of flowers and fragrance, cemented this image, so much so that her later works exploring themes like identity, purpose and defiance of social norms have been ignored in favour of her more romantic verses.
However, Shakir always managed to articulate a personal brand of feminism rooted in her own ideals of beauty and grace. In this poem “Bhatt”, Shakir uses the imagery of flowers and softness to offer a play between brute violence and soft courage. Through these simple lines, Shakir conveys the prescience of implicit danger — a wild beast lurking in the shadows. Her defense against this beast is a delicate shower of rose petals (or rose water). However, the poem ends on an ambiguous note: can these soft petals protect her from the brutality of this wolf? The wolf or beast can represent a number of threats, however, Shakir is firm in her conviction that grace, vulnerability, and quiet strength are her best weapons.
Bhatt bheriye ke aane se ek do ghari pehle ek sansanaati bu ban mein phail jaati hai aaj mere ghar mein bhi meri teesri his ne koi baat dekhi hai itni der me, main ne teesri ke chauthee baar ghar ke konay konay mein phir gulaab chirkaa hai phir gulaab ki dhaalein kya mujhe bacha lengi? // When the Wolves Come Moments before the wolves come, a sharp stench shoots through the woods Today, in my house too, my sixth sense has picked up a similar stench In this short time alone, three of four times already, every corner of the house with rose petals I have strewn These shields of roses, will they save me when the wolves come? (Translation by Naima Rashid)
2. Special Gifts for the Special Women in Your Life
Looking to express your love and admiration for the special women in your life? We’ve got your covered! From postcards and jewellry to tote bags and coasters, we’ve got a range of beautiful gifts that are sure to bring a smile to their faces.
3. Daak Recommends
Read another Daak on Parveen Shakir’s poems on love and heartbreak, with her most haunting lines “hamein chahiye tha milna…”.
Also, watch this lovely conversation between two literary greats, Shakir and Munir Niazi.
Excellent