Volume IV Special Issue VIII October 2024

Name of Author : Shivangi Verma

Title of the paper : Intertextuality and Diasporic Memory: The Poetic World of Agha Shahid Ali

Abstract: This paper investigates how intertextuality and diasporic memory intersect in Agha Shahid Alis poetry. Through analyzing Alis incorporation of allusions to various literary and cultural texts, the paper explains how these components help in forming and expressing diasporic memory. By closely examining important poems like The Beloved and Postcard from Kashmir, along with specific ghazals, the paper explores how Alis poetic style connects with the themes of exile, loss, and yearning. Alis mentions of poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and T.S. Eliot act as cultural markers that connect his individual and shared diasporic experiences with a wider literary heritage. These references between texts enhance the complexity of his poems and broaden the readers comprehension of the diaspora experience. Ali builds a complex narrative that mirrors the diverse and fragmented aspects of diasporic identity by mixing these references together. Comparing Alis approach to memory and identity with that of other diasporic poets like Derek Walcott and Kamau Brathwaite underscores its uniqueness. In conclusion, this paper shows how Ali uses intertextuality to convey his diasporic memories effectively, providing important perspectives on how literature navigates the challenges of displacement and cultural consistency. The present paper will study how Agha Shahid Ali integrates intertextual references and diasporic memory into his poetic expression. Through an examination of poems like The Beloved and Postcard from Kashmir, besides some of his select ghazals, the present study will try to show how Alis poems reflect exile, loss, and yearning. It will underline how intertextuality and diasporic memory come together in his poetry to provide subtle explication for experiences related to the diaspora

Keywords : Exile, Memory, Identity, Displacement, Culture

DOI :

Page Number : 73-77