KHWAJA ALTAF HUSSAIN HALI

One of the desciples of Mirza Galib, Hali is best known for his epic poem, "Musaddas Madd-o-Jazr-e-Islam". His other literary achievements include a biography of Galib and one of the earliest texts in Urdu literary criciticism, "Muqaddama-e-Sher-o-Shayari". Maulana Hali's gazals reflect his command over the form of poetry but later on in life, he focussed more on Nazm as a means of expression. After the fall of the Mughal empire, the influence of English poetry started becoming apparent in the subcontinent. Instead of describing the beauty and virtues of an imaginary beloved, poets started focussing more on nature, religion, politics and everyday life with the use of a less formal language. Alongwith Maulana Mohammed Hussain Azad, Maulan Hali was one of the forerunners of this new period and trend in Urdu poetry.