Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Agha Shahid Ali’s poem “Even the Rain” is a profound exploration of loss, memory, and the inexorable passage of time, articulated through the ghazal form. The ghazal, a poetic form consisting of couplets that are both autonomous and interconnected, is a traditional form in Persian, Arabic, and South Asian poetry. Each couplet ends with a common refrain—in this case, “even the rain”—which becomes a thematic and rhythmic anchor for the poem.

The opening couplet, “What will suffice for a true-love knot? Even the rain? / But he has bought grief’s lottery, bought even the rain,” sets the tone for the poem—a meditation on love and sorrow, where even elements like rain are interwoven with personal grief and loss. The rain, recurring throughout the poem, becomes a metaphor for the universal and persistent nature of sorrow and the human condition.

In “Our glosses / wanting in this world”—“Can you remember?” / Anyone!—“when we thought / the poets taught” even the rain,” Ali reflects on the role of poetry and its perceived power to instruct and provide solace. The line suggests a longing for a time when poetry was seen as a guiding force, capable of imparting wisdom, even about something as ubiquitous and uncontrollable as rain.

The poem delves into existential themes with lines like “After we died—That was it!—God left us in the dark. / And as we forgot the dark, we forgot even the rain.” Here, Ali touches on the themes of oblivion and the human tendency to forget, extending it to the most fundamental elements of life, symbolized by the rain.

Throughout the poem, rain serves as a symbol for various emotional states and existential realities—it's associated with grief, memory, the passage of time, and even acts of violence and destruction. The repetition of the phrase “even the rain” in each couplet becomes a lament, a reminder of the pervasiveness of these experiences.

“Even the Rain” is a testament to Agha Shahid Ali’s mastery of the ghazal form, his ability to infuse traditional poetic structures with contemporary sensibilities and profound emotional depth. The poem’s exploration of universal themes through the motif of rain resonates deeply, making it a poignant commentary on the human condition."

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