The stylistics analysis of the poem “raqeeb se, to the rival” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Abstract

This study examines the stylistic construction of the poem Raqeeb se “To the Rival” from "Remonstrance" [Naqsh-e-Faryaadii], in which the study unsnarled various literary devices used by Faiz that reveals the style of the poet and aids in understanding the meaning of the text. The present study is comprehensive account of the content, style and the whole language system running in the poem achieved via close reading of the text. The stylistics is done under the aspect of graphological, grammatical, syntactical, phonological patterns. The study via stylistics reveals the pathos and bleakness immersed in the overall tone of the poem.  The overarching theme that pervades through the first part of the poem and culminates into second, is sense of loss and deprivation, which the poet first feels for himself and then for the less privileged underclass.  Since poetry of Faiz exposes the themes of ideology and power relations, political inequality, economical monopoly, social disorder, and how these conditions are created, imposed and put forwarded by particular power groups and some organized institutions. To answer these all questions, the study looks beyond the surface level and closely probe into the situations which are nurtured and developed over a time.