Feminist Thought and Contemporary Awareness in the Poetry of Zehra Nigah

Abstract

Zehra Nigah is a distinguished contemporary Urdu poet whose poetry presents a sensitive and profound expression of feminist thought and contemporary awareness. Her work reflects women’s emotional experiences, social struggles, cultural identity, and their position within patriarchal society. Rather than adopting a confrontational approach, she articulates women’s concerns through subtle symbolism, emotional depth, and artistic restraint. Her poetry also engages with significant issues of the modern age, including social inequality, political unrest, war, migration, violence, and the erosion of human values. By connecting personal experience with collective consciousness, Zehra Nigah transforms the individual voice of women into a broader representation of social reality. This study critically examines the major dimensions of feminist thought and contemporary awareness in her poetry. It explores how her poetic expression challenges conventional gender roles while preserving cultural and literary sensibility. The study concludes that Zehra Nigah’s poetry occupies an important place in modern Urdu literature because it effectively combines feminine consciousness, social criticism, human compassion, and awareness of contemporary realities.

References:

1. Saghir, Seema, Taneesiyat aur Urdu Adab: Riwayat, Masail aur Imkanat, New Delhi: Brown Book Publications, 2018, p. 15.
2. Rahmani, Najma, Azadi ke Baad Urdu Sha‘irat, New Delhi: M. R. Publications, 2017, p. 65.
3. Zahra Nigah, Firaq, Karachi: A. G. Printers, 2009, p. 48.
4. Ibid, p. 171–172.
5. Zahra Nigah, Sham ka Pehla Tara, New Delhi: Director, Qaumi Council Baraye Farogh-e-Urdu Zaban, 2012, p. 62.
6. Ibid, p. 55.
7. Ibid, p. 53.
8. Zahra Nigah, Firaq, p. 97.
9. Ibid, p. 19.
10. Zahra Nigah, Sham ka Pehla Tara, p. 69.
11. Zahra Nigah, Firaq, pp. 68–69.
12. Zahra Nigah, Sham ka Pehla Tara, p. 79.
13. Zahra Nigah, Firaq, p. 40.