शायरी means poetry — specifically the Urdu/Hindi tradition of shers, ghazals, and couplets that say in two lines what most people take a page to say.
I first fell in love with Shayari through a book called दीवान-ए-शायरी, which I bought at a train station on my way to pick up my Buaji or Mausi — I don’t remember which. I read it on that journey and was hooked from the very first page. From there, I gradually discovered more poets, and it’s stayed with me ever since.
Poets Whose Words Have Stayed With Me
Their shers and ghazals belong to them, so rather than reproducing verses here, I’m linking to where you can read their full work properly — Rekhta is the standard archive for Urdu and Hindi poetry.
- Dushyant Kumar — the poet who started it all for me, from that first train journey with दीवान-ए-शायरी. His Hindi ghazals carry a restlessness and quiet defiance I keep coming back to. Read his work on Rekhta →
- Mirza Ghalib — probably the most quoted Urdu poet there is, and for good reason. There’s a sher of his for almost every mood. Read his work on Rekhta →
- Mir Taqi Mir — the poet Ghalib himself bowed to. His shers carry a grief and depth that hits differently. Read his work on Rekhta →
- Allama Iqbal — poet-philosopher, and the mind behind some of the most stirring lines in Urdu poetry. Read his work on Rekhta →
- More poets to come as I remember them.