Perspectives on Grief and Exile in Agha Shahid Ali’s Poetry

ABSTRACT: Ali, a secular Shi’a Muslim from Hindu-dominated Kashmir, describes himself as an exile due to his ability to inhabit multiple circumstances and historical and national backgrounds simultaneously. Living in exile is a temperamental way to live “among” places, lamenting a homeland that has been abandoned and to which one is unable to return. Ali views “travel” as a workable solution to an emotionally taxing problem, exploring the possibilities of traveling while grieving. He is an approachable poet who sees opportunity in his tri-cultural opportunities, rather than just accepting him as a suffering poet stuck in articulating personal or cultural trauma. In his poem “The Dacca Gauzes,” Ali travels while confronting loss, raising doubts about the poem’s capacity to travel. Traveling requires motion, making it a process rather than a setting. The fundamental difference between traveling and going into exile is the issue of will or consent. Ali’s poetry allows for connection between the author and the reader, triggering a network of memory and cultural and personal losses.

Keywords: Agha Shahid Ali; grief; exile; travel; The Dacca Gauzes