A THEMATIC STUDY OF SHAFIQ MURAD’S POETRY IN SHEHR-E-MURAD

Abstract

This study presents a thematic analysis of Shafiq Murad’s poetry collection Shehr-e-Murad. The collection reflects a deep engagement with human emotions, inner struggle, and social realities. Central themes include pain and sorrow, inner anguish, loneliness, separation, and the emotional consequences of migration. Personal grief merges with collective suffering, creating a poetic space where individual experience mirrors the condition of the age.Alongside sorrow, the poetry carries strong elements of hope, spiritual awareness, and faith in divine mercy. Shafiq Murad explores both spiritual love and earthly love, presenting love as a force that shapes identity, endurance, and moral awareness. Nature imagery, symbolism, and imaginative expression are used to convey inner states and philosophical reflection without direct narration.

The collection also demonstrates contemporary consciousness, addressing social injustice, hypocrisy, moral decline, and political silence. Love for the homeland remains a persistent concern, even while the poet lives abroad. Themes of nostalgia, existential questioning, and life’s ongoing struggles highlight the poet’s realism and experiential depth. Overall, Shehr-e-Murad emerges as a balanced blend of emotion, thought, faith, and lived experience, offering a meaningful reflection on modern human life through poetry.