Concrete poem (Week 4)
For this week I choose to write a poem that combines to different styles. Firstly, as I clearly evident, the poem ‘concrete.’ The lines take the form of an object, in this case a wedding ring. I was engaged by the focus on the Prophet as the bridegroom and the muslim as the waiting bride. On pages 163-167 of “In Praise of Muhammad: Sindhi and Urdu Poems,” Professor Asani lists, “Selections from the Mauluds: Poems by Abd Ur-Ra Uft Bhatti” which are all colorful praises of the Prophet.
Among these are references to the Prophet as bridegroom and alludes to the grandeur of his wedding: “On the Prophets Henna night, ten million angels were present” (Asani, 165). Each poem two has a line or two in italics before the body stanza. This line is the refrain. I wanted to incorporate this style. Instead of using italics, I had the words surrounding the diamond on the wedding ring represent the refrain, while the body of the poem would encircle the band of the diamond ring.
I wanted the meaning of my poem in praise of the Prophet to incorporate the wedding ring analogy. I attempted this by referencing the “gentle hand” of the Prophet, which Muslims long for and the wedding ring seeks to adorn. Writing a poem such as this does raise the question as to which art from it really is. Does my not being a Muslim make it simply a concrete poem, or does it carry any religious significance?