Pakistan observes Parveen Shakir's 24th death anniversary

ISLAMABAD – The 24th death anniversary of renowned poetess Parveen Shakir is being observed today (Wednesday).

Born on 24 November 1952 in Karachi, Parveen Shakir was a self-made woman and adopted purely eastern style in her poems. She not only expressed her feelings but also of working women.

Her famous poetry books include “Khushbu”, Mah-e-Tamam “Sad-Barg, Khud’ kalaami” and Inkar.

Spontaneity in expression was the hallmark of her poetry that mesmerized the youth especially girls.

Parveen played greater role in depiction of romanticism in her poetic work. She portrayed the issues related to the women. Parveen Shakir started writing at an early age and published her first volume of poetry, Khushbu (Fragrance), which won the Adamjee Award. Later she was awarded the Pride of Performance.

Critics compare her poetry to that of Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad.

Parveen was one of those female poets who could be regarded as pioneers in defying tradition by expressing the “female experience” in Urdu poetry, her work was often based on romanticism, exploring the concepts of love, beauty and their contradictions, and heavily integrated the use of metaphors, similes and personifications.

She did her Masters in English Literature and Linguistics from Karachi University. She was a professor at Karachi University and Trinity College, Connecticut, USA, for 9 years before joining the Civil Service, where she served in the customs department.

In 1986, she was appointed a second secretary, CBR in Islamabad. In 1990, she taught at Trinity College, Connecticut, USA, and then did her Masters in public administration at Harvard University in 1991.

Shakir's poetry was a breath of fresh air in Urdu poetry. She used the first person feminine pronoun, which is rarely used in Urdu poetry even by female poets. The feminine perspective of love and the associated social problems were her theme.

She died in a car accident in Islamabad on 26 Dec,1994 while going to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu9yyoazjJI