Wounded Poetry Hands: The Poetics of Agha Shahid Ali

This article traces how Agha Shahid Ali undergoes a paradigmatic shift from a postcolonial Indian poet to an (anti-colonial) Kashmiri-American poet. It opens with a detailed critical introduction to Shahid's poetics using some of his biographical anecdotes to illustrate the importance of his writings to contemporary debates on postcolonial literature. The former works of Shahid are studied together with his latter works to showcase his transition from postcolonial nostalgic poet of loss, longing, and remembrance to fiercely anticolonial writer whose stance changes as the formerly colonised state of India becomes the 'coloniser' of Kashmir - the poet's motherland. The article highlights the importance of Shahid's works to Western and subcontinental scholars who may be less acquainted with his poetics.

Automated summary

This article traces the transition of Agha Shahid Ali from a postcolonial Indian poet to an anti-colonial Kashmiri-American poet and highlights the importance of his works to contemporary debates on postcolonial literature, especially for Western and subcontinental scholars who may not be familiar with his poetics.