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VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
24-28
10.37547/ajsshr/Volume05Issue07-07
24
The Role of Poetic Devices in The Development of
Uzbek Ghazal Poetry in The Second Half of the 20th
Century
Jurayeva Mahliyo Dusmurod qizi
Alisher Navoi Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature, PhD student, Uzbekistan
Received:
16 May 2025;
Accepted:
12 June 2025;
Published:
14 July 2025
Abstract:
This article is dedicated to the poetic analysis of select ghazals created in Uzbek literature during the
second half of the 20th century. It reveals the significance of ilmi badi' (the science of rhetoric) within the ilmhoyi
segona - the triad of sciences, which forms the foundation of classical Eastern poetics - in the development of the
period’s ghazal. Alongside traditional poetic devices such as tashbih, talmih, tashxi
s, tazod (including mutobaqa,
tiboq, tatbiq, taqofu), husni ta'lil, irsoli masal, iyhom (tahyil, tavriya), tajnis, tanosub (muroat un-nazir, tavfiq,
iytilof, talfiq), and ishtiqoq, the article separately analyzes artistic devices like kalomi jomi', izdivoj, ibhom, ittifoq,
and radd, which are widely used in poetry but have received little scholarly attention. The extent to which these
devices are employed in the ghazals has been determined, revealing that some ghazals are constructed on the
basis of a specific poetic device from the matla (opening couplet) to the maqta (closing couplet). Through the
examination of these ghazals, the article ascertains the degree to which the poets adhered to the traditions of
their predecessors and highlights their innovative contributions.
Keywords:
Ghazal, ilmhoyi segona, ilmi badi', kalomi jomi', izdivoj, ibhom, ittifoq, radd.
Introduction:
One of the main elements of the ilmhoyi
segona, which forms the composition of Eastern
classical poetics and the foundation of poetry, is the
science of badi' - the primary criterion for analyzing the
artistry of ghazals. Considering that in a work of art,
how something is expressed is more important than
what is expressed, artistic devices are subjected to
scientific analysis.
It is difficult to imagine lyric poetry, especially ghazals,
without poetic devices. The delicacy, elegance, and
grace of the poem and its lines are based on the artistic
devices used in it. If we look at the history of Eastern
literature, the creative maturity of a writer is connected
with their ability to convey to the reader the romantic
and emotional experiences, or artistic-aesthetic, socio-
philosophical, and moral-educational ideas that they
wish to express in their works through certain artistic
devices. The system of poetic arts is studied within the
framework of the science of badi'. Badi' in Arabic
means rare or newly appeared thing. When Navoi
speaks about this science, he abbreviates it as
"sanoye." Atoullah Husayni calls it "beauty."
The third part of Sheikh Ahmad Tarazi's work "Funun
ul-balogha" (1437) is devoted to the topic of artistic
devices, and a total of 97 artistic devices are explained
with Arabic, Persian, and Turkic examples. Another
comprehensive work on the science of badi' is Atoullah
Husayni's "Badoye us-sanoe." In previous works on the
science of badi', the artistic devices were divided into
two types: spiritual and verbal arts. Atoullah Husayni
wrote about them: "The beauty of speech is limited to
three parts. In that respect, every beauty is either only
in the word, or only in the meaning, or in the beauty of
the combination of words and meanings," thus dividing
them into verbal, spiritual, and combined arts.
The first of the types of poetic art are verbal arts, which
are studied in connection with the word. The main
types of this art include: tarsi', tajnis, radd, qalb, sa'j,
tashtir, tajziya, tasri' tasmit, aks, tardid, zulqofiyatayn,
tavshih, mulamma', muqatta', musoviyat tarafayn,
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
mudavvar, mushokala and others, and "verbal beauty
is countless and innumerable."
The second type of artistic forms is spiritual arts, which
are frequently employed in Eastern classical poetry.
These include: tashbih, talmih, tamsil, tashxis, takrir,
ta'rix, tajohilu orif, husni ta'lil, irsoli masal, mubolag'a,
kinoya, laff va nashr, iyhom, kalomi jomi', ruju'
(istidrok), itnob, iyjoz.
The third group of artistic forms is common arts, and
"in this art too, the focus will be on presenting those
that are highly regarded by the majority." It consists of
tazod, tajnis, tanosub, tazmin, ishtiqoq, baroati istihlol,
husni matla', husni maqta'.
In the ghazals of the second half of the 20th century,
the use of "radd" from verbal embellishments is
significant. This type of art, considered "one of the
most classical and acceptable" (Rashiduddin Vatvot)
among verbal arts, is based on the repetition of words.
It has been classified into different types by various
scholars. When categorizing the types of radd,
attention is mainly paid to its position in the verse. In
the poetry of the second half of the 20th century, one
can observe the innovation of poets associated with
this art. In the works of Habibiy and Charxiy, different
complex types of the art of radd are used throughout
the ghazal, creating a unique melodiousness.
In Habibiy's ghazal "Jahonim o'zing" and Charxiy's
ghazal "Mehrim barqaror," radd us-sadr il-al-ajz and
radd ul-aruz il-al-ibtido are used alternately in each
verse from matla' to maqta'. Radd us-sadr il-al-ajz is
also called tasdir, where sadr is repeated in ajz. It is
known that the beginning of the couplet is called sadr,
and the end is called ajz. In this case, the word at the
beginning of the couplet is repeated at its end. Radd ul-
aruz il-al-ibtido creates the art of tasbi'. This is a
repetition of aruz at the beginning, where the word at
the end of the first line (aruz) is repeated at the
beginning of the second line (ibtido).
(matla') You are my soul and world, you are my name
and symbol,
You are my name and symbol, you are my soul and
world
All the words in this ghazal, beginning with the matla',
participate in the formation of this art. This love lyric,
which is the 165th ghazal of the divan, is a lover's poem
where the praise of the beloved is sung from beginning
to end. The ghazal is written in the aruz meter
munsarihi musammani matviyi makshuf (afoyili and
taqti'i: muftailun, foilun, muftailun, foilun; - V V - / - V -
/ - V V - / - V -).
Also, among the ghazals in Asg'arali Charxiy's divan,
there is a ghazal with a recurring meter. In this ghazal,
from beginning to end, the art of radd us-sadr il-al-ajz
and radd ul-aruz il-al-ibtido is used, which the poet
called "qaytarma bahr":
The second type of artistic forms is spiritual arts, which
are frequently employed in Eastern classical poetry.
These include: tashbih, talmih, tamsil, tashxis, takrir,
ta'rix, tajohilu orif, husni ta'lil, irsoli masal, mubolag'a,
kinoya, laff va nashr, iyhom, kalomi jomi', ruju'
(istidrok), itnob, iyjoz.
The third group of artistic forms is common arts, and
"in this art too, the focus will be on presenting those
that are highly regarded by the majority." It consists of
tazod, tajnis, tanosub, tazmin, ishtiqoq, baroati istihlol,
husni matla', husni maqta'.
In the ghazals of the second half of the 20th century,
the use of "radd" from verbal embellishments is
significant. This type of art, considered "one of the
most classical and acceptable" (Rashiduddin Vatvot)
among verbal arts, is based on the repetition of words.
It has been classified into different types by various
scholars. When categorizing the types of radd,
attention is mainly paid to its position in the verse. In
the poetry of the second half of the 20th century, one
can observe the innovation of poets associated with
this art. In the works of Habibiy and Charxiy, different
complex types of the art of radd are used throughout
the ghazal, creating a unique melodiousness.
In Habibiy's ghazal "Jahonim o'zing" and Charxiy's
ghazal "Mehrim barqaror," radd us-sadr il-al-ajz and
radd ul-aruz il-al-ibtido are used alternately in each
verse from matla' to maqta'. Radd us-sadr il-al-ajz is
also called tasdir, where sadr is repeated in ajz. It is
known that the beginning of the couplet is called sadr,
and the end is called ajz. In this case, the word at the
beginning of the couplet is repeated at its end. Radd ul-
aruz il-al-ibtido creates the art of tasbi'. This is a
repetition of aruz at the beginning, where the word at
the end of the first line (aruz) is repeated at the
beginning of the second line (ibtido).
(matla') You are my soul and world, you are my name
and symbol,
You are my name and symbol, you are my soul and
world
All the words in this ghazal, beginning with the matla',
participate in the formation of this art. This love lyric,
which is the 165th ghazal of the divan, is a lover's poem
where the praise of the beloved is sung from beginning
to end. The ghazal is written in the aruz meter
munsarihi musammani matviyi makshuf (afoyili and
taqti'i: muftailun, foilun, muftailun, foilun; - V V - / - V -
/ - V V - / - V -).
Also, among the ghazals in Asg'arali Charxiy's divan,
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
26
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajsshr
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
there is a ghazal with a recurring meter. In this ghazal,
from beginning to end, the art of radd us-sadr il-al-ajz
and radd ul-aruz il-al-ibtido is used, which the poet
called "qaytarma bahr":
Baxtiyorman yashnagan yurtimda, mehrim barqaror,
Barqaror mendek shirin umri-la hamma baxtiyor.
Ixtiyor erkini qoʻldan yaxshi inson bermagay,
Bermagay hargiz yomon yoʻllarga vijdon ixtiyor.
Other verses also have similar repetitions. This creates
a unique quality. The repetition of words evokes not
boredom in a person, but a special kind of pleasure. The
ghazal belongs to the moral-didactic genre according to
its theme and is created in the spirit of advice. This
indicates that the art of kalami jomi' also plays a key
role in the work.
In the history of literature, particularly in the ghazals of
the second half of the 20th century, one of the spiritual
arts that was widely used but little explained is kalami
jomi'. "Kalami jomi' is such a word that is adorned with
something like advice, wisdom, and complaints about
the times and brothers."
It is understood that kalami jomi' was used in all works
with a spirit of moral instruction. In particular, among
the works of Chusti, Charkhi, and Habibi, ghazals on
moral-educational and socio-philosophical themes are
significant for giving advice, counsel, and guidance to
contemporary people and future generations, calling
them to goodness, and in some instances, the lyrical
hero complaining about his own condition. Several
ghazals related to this art, penned by Charkhi, caught
our attention:
Gar kelsa maqom, soʻzlasa soʻz xonasi yaxshi,
Har xonaning oʻz koʻzlari mastonasi yaxshi.
The ghazal, beginning with the above matla', is
composed in the meter of hazaji musammani axrabi
makfufi mahzuf (with the metrical feet: maf'uvlu
mafoiylu mafoiylu fauvlun; scansion: - V / V - V / V - V /
V -). This ghazal by the poet addresses a moral and
educational theme, dedicated to future generations.
In another ghazal, the poet:
Eng ulugʻ insonga avval tarbiya,
Tarbiyatdin ezgu holim deb joʻya,
and conveys to the reader the teachings that
upbringing is a great blessing.
Particularly in the works of Nabikhan Chusti, ghazals
featuring this art form constitute the majority. The poet
sometimes expresses concern about the upbringing of
the younger generation and offers them advice, while
at other times he pens his reflections on the social
conditions of the era:
Unmasa maqsadni tuxmi toza tuprogʻim dema,
Toʻsmasa ofat selin, har choʻqqini togʻim dema.
Or:
Sen yigit boʻlsang agar nomusu oring saqlagil,
Dil buzuq, begonadan koʻzi xumoring saqlagil.
In the works of poets, socio-moral ideas and profound
philosophical reflections find their expression precisely
through the art of kalomi jomi'.
Among Chusti's ghazals, there are numerous poems on
romantic themes, in which the poet skillfully employs
words, contributing to the readability of these ghazals.
Moreover, the subtle allusions and examples of poetic
artistry used serve to reveal the inner experiences of
the lover and convey his feelings to the "beloved." In
particular, if we examine the poetic devices in the
muwashshah of one of his ghazals, we observe that
alongside techniques such as tazod, tashxis, tanosub,
and tashbih, the art of tavze' is also employed in the
fourth and fifth couplets. Tavze' (Arabic: to distribute,
to divide) is an art form that allows for the creation of
harmony in poetry or prose. This is achieved by using
words with the same consonant sound in a verse or
sentence. This type of artistic technique is utilized in
the ghazal as follows:
Yondi jonim, kuydi jismim, qolmadi hech toqatim,
Jonga rahm et, yoki mujgon tiri birlan ot meni.
Xodiming xodimlariga xasta jonimdir gʻulom,
Hoziqi vaslingga bu qul xasta deb koʻrsat meni.
Looking at the history of classical poetry, we witness
that the artistry of poems is primarily built on the
foundation of spiritual and shared poetic devices.
Notably, in the ghazals of the second half of the 20th
century, alongside spiritual devices such as tashbih,
talmih, tashxis, husni ta'lil, irsoli masal, ibhom, iyhom
(tahyil, tavriya), kalomi jomi', and ittifoq, the
importance of shared devices like tazod (mutobaqa,
tiboq, tatbiq, taqofu), tajnis, tanosub (muroat un-nazir,
tavfiq, iytilof, talfiq), and ishtiqoq is significant.
The poets of that era skillfully employed the art of husni
ta'lil, considered the most complex and elegant among
the spiritual devices, to create masterful verses.
Particularly, in the works of poet Chusti, there are
numerous ghazals that emdiv the skillful depiction of
a lover's passion and praise of the beloved, crafted with
the accompaniment of several poetic devices. One such
ghazal begins with the following matla':
The eyes of the blind suddenly opened upon gazing at
your face,
When did Ibn Sina possess such miraculous power?
In this couplet, the art of tanosub (proportion) is
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
employed, which is found in almost every ghazal, and
"few poems are free from this art." Additionally, the
mention of "Ibn Sina" creates a talmih (allusion).
In the third and fourth verses, a beautiful example of
husni ta'lil (poetic etiology) appears before us:
Labingdan rang oʻgʻirlay deb uzukka boʻldi yoqut koʻz,
Tushib qoʻlga qizardi tiz bukib qildi tavallolar.
Tushib qadri seningdek bebaho oldida sargʻaygach,
Qulogʻingga osildi hasratin aytmakka tillolar.
From the verses, it is understood that the true reason
for the redness of ruby and the yellowness of gold is the
beauty of the beloved. The poet beautifully explains
the reason for the redness of ruby, which is found in
red in nature: he claims that when he tried to steal
color from his beloved's lips, he got caught and became
so ashamed.
The reason for the yellow co.
lor of gold is explained as follows: gold, considered a
precious metal, turns yellow due to the fact that its
value is much lower compared to the beloved beauty
(medicine shows that saffron and yellow are signs of
illness and much grief). Then he explains that women
wear gold in their ears because "the gold hung on the
beloved's ear, wanting to tell her her pain to that
beauty." In the eighth bayt of this ghazal, consisting of
thirteen bayts:
Ikki qirgʻogʻini daryo quloq aylab
eshitmoqda,
Taloshub dur tishingning ta’rifin aytganda shaydolar.
This is clearly evident in the last verses of this ghazal, in
which love for Allah is hidden in the soul. Through the
art of metaphor, the aging poet compares his white
beard to a feather, and the burning love created by the
love of Allah in his heart to a real fire, and expresses
that his div is burning like a candle.
In the work of the fiery poet Erkin Vohidov, we witness
the dance of various poetic arts, accompanied by
melody and meaning, to serve as a demonstration of
the poet's talent. In his ghazal "Grape", the poet vividly
embodies the process of grapes ripening and becoming
wine before the reader's eyes:
Termulib shabnamli yaproq
–
Ostidan pinhon uzum,
Lablaringga yetmoq istab
Tong sahar giryon uzum.
There are many types of spiritual arts in Uzbek classical
literature, but they are rarely explained, one of which
is the union art. In a poem using this type of art, the
author's pseudonym or a name or title appears in two
different meanings, namely in a lexical and a
terminological sense. We draw our attention to this
ghazal by Erkin Vohidov:
Yangrasin Erkin soʻzing,
Aslo tiling lol oʻlmasin.
Dast koʻtar davron yukini
etma qadding yo, qalam.
Naturally, not every poet can write a ghazal using this
art. The reason for this is that the poet's pseudonym
must have a meaning as a common noun. In addition to
the union, the arts of tashbih, izdivoj, takrir, and
tanosub are actively used in this ghazal, which was
written with the pen in mind. The important point is
that the union art is only present in the praise verse or
in the verse where the pseudonym is used.
Ishtiqaq, which is one of the common arts, also has a
great contribution to the development of the poetry of
the period. The art of ishtiqaq, also called iqtizab and
muhtazab in classical literary sources, consists of the
participation of several root words in a verse or
sentence. That is, we witness the participation of
several root words formed from one root, sometimes
from the beginning to the end of the entire ghazal. One
such work is Erkin Vohidov's ghazal "Gulchehralar"
(Faces):
matla’:
Gul boʻlib, gulgun yonib,
Gulshan aro Gulchehralar,
Gul uzib oʻynar, qoʻyib
Gulga bino Gulchehralar.
maqta’:
Bu chaman gullarga kondir,
Ochilib yashnang mudom,
Gul boʻlib, gulgun yonib,
Gulshan aro Gulchehralar.
In the verses, the word "gul" (flower) forms the basis of
derivation, from which the words gulchehra, gulgun,
and gulshan originated. The repetition of words in the
verses does not lead to boredom or negatively affect
the content; rather, it contributes to the
melodiousness and uniqueness of the ghazal.
While the art of derivation plays a leading role in this
ghazal, other literary devices such as simile, metaphor,
muraat un-nazir, personification, allusion, and radd ul-
matla' also serve to reveal the artistry of the poetry and
the poet's skill. Among these techniques, radd ul-matla'
is "one of the unique poetic devices, though it is not
mentioned in famous works devoted to the theory of
classical literature." Radd ul-matla' is the repetition of
the first line of the opening couplet (matla') in the
second line of the closing couplet (maqta'). According
to A. Mirzoyev, it appears in one of the ghazals by
Anvari, a representative of Persian poetry. This literary
device, which contributes not only to the repetition of
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
words but also to the thematic integrity of the ghazal
and the consistency of inter-couplet relationships,
holds a certain significance in the works of poets from
the second half of the 20th century.
Such ghazals, in which talent and skill emanate from
every word, are a testament to the poetic grace and
innovation characteristic of Erkin Vohidov.
In the author's ghazal "Masal borkim..." (There is a
parable...), the literary device of irsoli masal (allegory)
is employed consistently from the opening couplet
(matla) to the concluding couplet (maqta').
Ajab vaslingga men endi
Yetishganda koʻrindi moh,
Masal borkim, ogʻiz oshga ,
Burun toshga tegibdir voh!
This ghazal, which begins with the matla, is
characterized throughout by its use of wise words or
proverbs in the second line of each couplet to
substantiate the idea presented in the first line. This
distinctive feature is reminiscent of Lutfi's famous
ghazal "Ayoqingga tushar har lahza gisu" (Your hair falls
to your feet every moment).
As Fitrat expressed, poetry should possess a force that
boils people's blood, makes their nerves dance, shakes
their minds, and stirs their senses - a spiritual force. It
is widely known that one of the main means of
manifesting such power in lyrical poetry is through the
use of artistic devices.
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