Known for his unconventional poetry, Jaun Elia is regarded as one of the most prominent poets in the modern era. His unique style of poetry revloved around power of love and destruction. He would turn the mushairas into magical events, dazzling the crowd and throwing them into frenzy.
Biography
Jaun Elia was born on 14 December 1931 in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was the youngest of his siblings. His father, Shafiq Hasan Elia, worked in art and literature. He migrated to Pakistan in 1957, and decided to live in Karachi
The literary environment modelled him along the same lines and he wrote his first Urdu couplet when he was just 8. He studied Arabic and Persian at a local madrasa in Amroha and also acquired great proficiency in English and small knowledge of Hebrew. Eliya was a prolific writer, but could not be convinced to publish his work. His first poetry collection "Shayad" was published when he was 60. The second collection of his poetry "Yaanii" was published posthumously in 2003 and third titled "Gumaan" in 2004. Jaun was also involved in translation, editing and other activities. He edited Urdu literature magazine "Insha" where he met another Urdu writer Zahida Hina and finally married her. Jaun and Zahida were divorced in mid-1980s. This left Jaun devastated and alone. He passed on November 8, 2002.
Here are 10 couplets of Jaun Elia that will blow your mind.
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