Her ghazals had influenced his poetry a lot. A major portion of his collection is dedicated to Begum Akhter. Shahid would always go numb and astronomically sad at the mention of Begum Akhter, he’d been very close to her. It’s said that Shahid had cried for days after Begum Akhtar’s death. In the first stanza itself he talks of her death (night of ghazals comes to an end). “ Her one diamond cut…” Shahid in his other poem also referred to this diamond necklace. The poem starts with the signature Shahid style- a mix of east and west tone. This poem can be imagined as a journey - a journey he takes to bury his mother. He’s touched upon everything religion, spirituality, Kashmir, love, family, Begum Akhter and his guide - James. I love it how he makes transitions between continents, between people, and of course- love. It seems as if Shahid wanted to empty his heart out in those few pages. He’s addressed this poem to all his close people - poets, family, friends, lovers and inanimate close relationships as well. I’ll just write about the impression I got from this poem. Neither I will be be going deep into the devices this poem uses. In this essay I won’t be writing its summary or talking of it’s artistic or literary value. The poem is taken from his book - “ Rooms Are Never Finished”. It’s also a pretty lengthy poem spanning around 5 pages. If I’d to sum up this poem, all I can say is that this poem is an autobiography of Shahid written in rhythm. The more I read about Shahid, the more this poem began to make sense. I read it few times but it all bounced over. Another thing to be noted about this specific poem is that Amitav Ghosh’s tribute to Shahid is also titled the same. As happens with Shahid’s poems unless you are not fully acquainted with the time and background in which the poem was written you’ll not be able to comprehend the lines. When I first read this poem I couldn’t understand it. The singerĭeparts through her chosen mirror, her one diamondĬut on her countless necks….” I Dream I Am At The Ghat Of The Only World
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