Jaun Elia: A Poet and an Anarchist

It won’t be wrong to say that Jaun Elia got rebirth due to social media, like many other Urdu language poets. After the Peshawar APS terrorist attack in 2014, many tributes flooded that social media in the form of pictures, articles and poetry. One of them was a Facebook user’s post, which stated:

 

 Ab nahi koi baat khatray ki, ab sabhi ko sabhi sae khatra hai

(There’s nothing left to be scared of, for everyone is scared of everyone)

 

It was not something new. In fact, it is a verse that must be familiar to the ones who have ever read Jaun Elia; but the response it received was humongous. It was a mix of shock and awe. Maybe Jaun’s expression reflected the state of the times in short verses or perhaps it was just that the social media users didn’t realize that Urdu poetry could also be pleasant. This event truly marked his rebirth. The genius who was born into the house of literary learned people is no longer limited to literary circles and has become relevant among this generation.

Various events are organized in the past decade recalling Jaun Elia’s legacy; the Karachi Literature Festival had a whole panel dedicated to him in an event. Jaun’s life is full of literal gems that would compel any student of literature to go grab a notebook and pen. Although, no one is denying his legacy but some people are of the view that his work is unconventional, the expression of his ideas has an inclination towards negation, he lacks the depth and capacity that is required to negate. He uses a certain mechanism and anarchism.

Is Jaun a great poet as he is considered in some literary circles of the country or does his work is devoid of depth which makes him just another popular poet? Amjad Islam, Jaun’s contemporary poet says:

“It is the social media audience that has attempted to draw such clear lines between what constitutes a great poet and a popular poet. I think a poet can be great and popular at the same time. Jaun definitely has a unique voice and color to his poetry that makes him one of the most prominent poets of the post-partition Urdu world. But the absurdness in his work is quite debatable.”

The kinds of people who are sharing or admiring his poetry on social media are not the students of literature. They are just simple audience who are not aware of literature. He was celebrated in literary circles and nothing has reduced that appreciation. It is a note-worthy fact that Jaun’s poetry is an expression of personal experiences that does not turn into a mirror of collective aspirations.  Like many of his contemporaries, Jaun’s poetry is also a proclamation of the death of the experience of love in poetry. Jaun covers his lack of depth by the beauty of his expression, which turns him into an exceptional poet but not the one having great ideas. He addresses people with affection and uses the word ‘Jaani’ that makes him a popular character despite his reclusive personality.

by:  Abeer Arshad 

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