Parveen Shakir's Poetry Subverts the Rhetoric of Women's Liberation

By Sabat Khan, New Age Islam

8 July 2024

Parveen Shakir, a prominent South Asian poet of the 1900s, worked in a variety of positions, including teaching and government. She began writing poetry at an early age and went on to write articles for popular magazines and newspapers. She belonged to the post-modernist movement. Urdu poetry was given a stunning feminine touch by Parveen Shakir. 

In 1976, Khushboo, a volume of poetry written by Parveen Shakir, won the Adamjee Literary Award; in 1990, it took home the Pride of Performance Award. Parveen Shakir's poetry resonates with the importance of women's identity in the postmodern era within the field of Urdu poetry. 

Parveen Shakir is a legend whose poetry has a lasting impact on listeners that cuts over social and temporal barriers. Shakir's poetry is especially fascinating because of its strong feminist undertone, which gains even more relevance when examined from a postmodernist perspective. It's important to understand how her art undermines gender stereotypes and captures the complexity of modern life.

 

Parveen Shakir, a prominent South Asian poet of the 1900s

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Deconstruction of Traditional Gender Roles

The first female poet to give expression to women's experiences, emotions, and feelings was Parveen Shakir. According to her, women experience emotional discrimination at a higher rate than men. She discusses the bodily requirements of women, men's domination, the division of love, and girls' liberation. Through her poetry, she questioned the ideas of gender discrimination and patriarchy. Because a man is emotionally dependent on a woman, she tends to think that women are stronger than men, even though women are able to handle separation more gracefully. She discusses financial freedom while citing Virginia Woolf's "Room of Once Own." 

In addition, Parveen Shakir penned her poems during the 1970s, a period in which men still had all control and power over women. In South Asia, women were excluded from possibilities for advancement due to religious and socio-cultural practices. She refutes the idea that women are helpless objects of male desire in her poetry, showing women to be independent, sentient beings. The patriarchal narrative is upended by Parveen Shakir's examination of feminine desire, love, and longing, which provides a more complex understanding of women's experiences. But because she challenges the fundamental assumptions of the regressive worldview that has centered on women's existence, Parveen Shakir has come under fire from society. She presented an alternative, more progressive picture of women, one that is capable of holding such complexity, which was previously suppressed by the prevailing society. Her writing clearly reflects her perception of society as a hostile environment that is biased toward women. 

Fluidity of Identity

Parveen Shakir's poetry uses "women" in a different way. Specifically, she has brought forward a novel approach to conveying a woman's sentiments and emotions. One of the facets of post-modernism is the rejection of fixed identities regarding fluidity and plurality. However, Shakir’s poetry embraces this ethos by glorifying the fluidity of identity, particularly about gender and sexuality.

 Furthermore, she explores the complexities of human emotions and relationships and disapproves of limiting them to rigid categories. Due to this, she subverts hetero-normative expectations and embraces a more inclusive vision of love and desire. 

Parveen Shakir’s poetry also explores sexuality and pleasure from a female perspective. When a woman's sexual urge arises, this is something that society ignores. Finding anything sexual about women becomes an unacceptable situation. According to her, writing is a clear form of expression through which women may explicitly write themselves into history by highlighting their pleasure and sexuality. By expressing their desires in voices that men have traditionally wished to silence, women break free from male dominance. Shakir’s idea, her willingness to write the ‘body’ into 'text', and her yearning for sexuality in an expressive form that a woman should be entitled to employ.

In addition, "a constant dialogue within Parveen Shakir and with all the social, cultural, and religious pressures outside to make her so-called radical Pakistani poet, neither a feminist nor a traditional "feminine." Instead, she is caught between two cultures, a split, torn personality that has crossed social barriers and won the political battle through "word," her poetry, and has also won her personal liberty through a divorce. Ironically, she could still not win the personal battle of her emotions because family responsibility is an essential part of her Asian culture.”

In her poems, Parveen Shakir depicts a woman fighting to regain her freedom. She laments that "her" "womanhood" is burdened with responsibilities that grow daily and that she receives no compensation for her work; rather, her womanhood is for the benefit of her family members except herself. 

Intersectionality and social critique 

The feminist viewpoint of Parveen Shakir goes beyond gender to address more general concerns about inequality and social justice. She addresses the multiple forms of oppression that women experience in her poetry, especially those who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Parveen Shakir addresses topics including religious conservatism, political oppression, and class inequality, illuminating the complex nature of oppression in society. Furthermore, Parveen Shakir also addresses the limitations placed on women's lives by religious conservatism. She argues that women's marginalization in religious settings is a result of patriarchal interpretations of religious texts. Poems that tackle the relationship between religion and gender, such as "Hijr ke Mausam Main" and "Dil Se Jo Baat Nikalti Hai," promote women's rights in religious contexts. In “Hijr ke Mausam Main”, she writes: 

"Humsaye bhool ke humzulf pe kar mere sar hai qusoor"

(Blame my hair falling on my lover's face, having forgotten the neighbours).

This line alludes to the societal norms and expectations imposed on women within religious settings. Parveen Shakir suggests that her hair, a symbol of femininity, is seen as immodest and sinful in the eyes of the conservative society.

Furthermore, in “Dil Se Jo Baat Nikalti Hai” she illustrates:

"Jab bhi jhuki dhaalti ho mom ke lehje mein

Na samjho ki andhera hai, jangal hai, weeran hai

Kehna hai uss se ki tum dil hamesha ghaafil rakhna

Tumhein khabar nahin ki dil ki dahlij pe giran hai"

(Whenever she lowers her voice in her mother's tone,

Don't think its dark or a jungle or desolate

Tell her to keep her heart unaware

She doesn't know that she's knocking at the door of my heart)

These lines depict the ways in which women can be constrained by societal and religious expectations, particularly with regard to their speech. 

Parveen Shakir suggests that women are often expected to lower their voices and speak in a manner that reflects the norms of the male-dominated society.

Moreover, Parveen Shakir challenges patriarchal conventions that set expectations for women's duties and conduct in her poetry. She questions cultural norms that restrict women's autonomy and confine them to the home. Poems that fight against patriarchy and promote women's liberation include "Khud Kalami".

In “Khud Kalami” parveen Shakir raises a point and shapes the women's voice to write:

"Mein awaz hoon agar, tou hai tarz-e-ta'arruf,

Hum-ziya mein shaamil mujhe bhi kar lo yaar."

(If I am a voice, then there should be a way of introduction,

Include me in the conversations, my friend.)

These lines emphasize the need for recognition and inclusion of women's voices in society. Parveen Shakir suggests that her voice deserves to be heard and acknowledged, urging her friend to include her in the conversations and discussions that shape their world.

Besides, she also writes:

"Meri daastan, meri zubaan, meri kahani, meri riwayat,

Ek doosre se mile to bun jayengi kahin talwar."

(My story, my language, my narrative, my tradition,

If they come together, they could create a sword.)

These lines highlight the potential power and impact of women's stories, language, narratives, and traditions. Parveen Shakir conveys the notion that when women's diverse experiences and collective wisdom are combined, they can wield significant influence and effect positive change.

However, Parveen Shakir has the ability to write incredible things that sometimes go against who she is. She has frequently faced criticism from society for her work since, very obviously, she brings up concerns that women experience that society doesn't want to openly acknowledge. She often reflects the differences in socioeconomic status that exist in society. She illuminates the difficulties faced by women from lower socioeconomic origins, showing how the intersection of gender and class exacerbates their oppression.

Parveen Shakir, however, thought that before changing one's perspective on society, we must examine the issue and write bravely about it. 

With bravery, Parveen Shakir explored women's deepest feelings, ideas, and experiences, providing a complex picture of female subjectivity. Her poetry challenges the social standards that frequently suppress women's voices by giving them a forum to express their aspirations, problems, and ambitions. Shakir broke stereotypes and increased the representation of women in Urdu literature by placing a strong emphasis on the perspectives of women in her work.

 In addition, Shakir refuses to adhere to conventional ideas of femininity that undervalue the strength and agency of women, instead celebrating their autonomy and agency. Her poetry inspires women to embrace their identities and stand up for their rights because it radiates confidence and self-assurance. Shakir promoted the notion that women are active agents who shape their own destinies rather than passive objects through her poetry.

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Sabat Khan is a media professional with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Media Hindi and a Master's degree in Media Governance from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.

 

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/parveen-shakir-poetry-rhetoric-women-liberation/d/132652

 

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