Famous poet /1919 - 2002
Sayyid Akhtar Hussein RizviKaifi Azmi
Kaifi Azmi (born Sayyid Akhtar Hussein Rizvi) was an Indian Urdu poet, and is considered to be one of the greatest Urdu poets of the 20th century. He was also a political activist against colonialism.
He wrote his first ghazal at the age of eleven, which was later immortalized in song.
At the age of twenty-four he became a member of the Progressive Writers' Movement and Communist Party that made him embark on the path of socially conscious poetry.
In his poetry, he highlights the exploitation of the subaltern masses and through them he conveys a message of the creation of a just social order by dismantling the existing one.
Yet, his poetry cannot be called plain propaganda. It has its own merits; intensity of emotions, in particular, and the spirit of sympathy and compassion towards the disadvantaged section of society, are the hallmark of his poetry. His poems are also notable for their rich imagery and in this respect, his contribution to Urdu poetry can hardly be overstated.
Azmi's first collection of poems, Jhankar was published in 1943. His important works including anthologies of poetry, were Aakhir-e-Shab, Sarmaya, Awaara Sajde, Kaifiyaat, Nai Gulistan, an anthology of articles he wrote for Urdu Blitz, Meri Awaaz Suno, a selection of his film lyrics, and the script of Heer Ranjha in Devanagari.
His best known poems are Aurat, Makaan,Daaera,Saanp, and Bahuroopni.
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