Existential Study Of Anthology Of Dr Iftikhart Baig “Dard Lafzon Mai Sans Laita Ha”

Abstract

This research paper undertakes a critical and analytical examination of Dr. Iftikhar Baig’s poetic collection Dard Lafzon Mein Saans Leta Hai within the philosophical and literary framework of existentialism, while simultaneously exploring its nuanced engagement with Urdu literary tradition. The study investigates how the poet grapples with the existential dilemmas of alienation, despair, freedom, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent world. Through the lens of existential philosophy—particularly the works of Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Camus—the research elucidates how Dr. Baig’s verse transcends personal anguish to reflect a broader human condition shaped by existential anxiety.

Furthermore, the paper contextualizes Baig’s modern poetic voice within the continuum of Urdu poetic tradition, engaging critically with classical and modern forms, especially the transition from romanticism to philosophical realism. The poet’s reconfiguration of traditional metaphors, idioms, and imagery reflects a profound ontological crisis, making his work a unique confluence of individual subjectivity and collective cultural memory. Employing qualitative content analysis, intertextual references, and hermeneutic methodology, this study aims to illuminate how Baig’s poetry embodies a dynamic dialogue between tradition and modern existential thought, thereby enriching the corpus of contemporary Urdu literature.

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