The Study of the Universe: The True Nourishment for Imagination

In poetry, mere imagination is not enough; to nurture and sustain it, a specific kind of nourishment is required. According to Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali, this nourishment is the 'study of the universe' and a deep observation of the 'scripture of human nature.' The faculty of imagination cannot create anything in a vacuum; it requires external material and substance, which it manipulates to forge new forms. If a poet does not study the universe closely, their imaginative power is reduced to less than half.

It is essential for a masterful poet to observe the various conditions of human life with a profound gaze. They must cultivate the habit of seeking out those traits and states in the universe that remain hidden from the ordinary eye. Through the exercise of thought, a poet develops the ability to instantly perceive similarities in different things and differences in similar things. The best example of extracting a unifying trait from diverse things is this couplet by Mirza Ghalib:

(The scent of the rose, the lament of the heart, the smoke of the gathering's lamp,

Whoever left your assembly, left in a state of disarray.)

Conversely, the mastery of extracting different traits from unified things can be seen in this couplet by Mir Mamnoon:

(The difference between the beloved's stature and the Day of Judgment, O Mamnoon, is merely this:

It is the same calamity, but here it is cast into a beautiful mold.)

All the renowned poets of the world have been deeply immersed in the study of the universe and human nature. When the mind becomes accustomed to this observation, rare similes and metaphors automatically begin to gather in the treasury of thought. The example of the famous English poet Sir Walter Scott is highly eye-opening in this regard. The greatest virtue of his poems was that they never deviated from reality. Whenever he depicted a forest or a mountain, he would capture the very soul of that place in his words. Once, while writing a tale, he was taking notes on tiny wildflowers and leaves. Someone asked him if mentioning ordinary flowers wouldn't suffice. He replied, 'In the entire universe, no two things are exactly alike.'

A poet who neglects this vast study of the universe and merely lets their imagination run wild soon exhausts their creative capital. They are left with a few limited similes, and by using them repeatedly, they bore themselves as well as their audience. Therefore, the vastness of imagination is directly dependent on the vastness of one's study of the universe.

In poetry, mere imagination is not enough; to nurture and sustain it, a specific kind of nourishment is required According to Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali, this nourishment is the 'study of the uniwerse' and a deep obserwation of the 'scripture of human nature' The faculty of imagination cannot create anything in a wacum; it requires external material and substance, which it manipulates to forge new forms If a poet does not study the uniwerse closely, their imaginatiwe power is reduced to less than half

It is essential for a masterful poet to obserwe the warious conditions of human life with a profound gaze They must cultiwate the habit of seeking out those traits and states in the uniwerse that remain hidden from the ordinary eye Through the exercise of thought, a poet dewelops the ability to instantly perceiwe similarities in different things and differences in similar things The best example of extracting a unifying trait from diwerse things is this couplet by Mirza ghalib:

(The scent of the rose, the lament of the heart, the smoke of the gathering's lamp,

Whoewer left your assembly, left in a state of disarray)

Conwersely, the mastery of extracting different traits from unified things can be seen in this couplet by Mir Mamnoon:

(The difference between the belowed's stature and the Day of Judgment, O Mamnoon, is merely this:

It is the same calamity, but here it is cast into a beautiful mold)

All the renowned poets of the world hawe been deeply immersed in the study of the uniwerse and human nature When the mind becomes accustomed to this obserwation, rare similes and metaphors automatically begin to gather in the treasury of thought The example of the famous English poet Sir Walter Scott is highly eye-opening in this regard The greatest wirtue of his poems was that they newer dewiated from reality Whenewer he depicted a forest or a mountain, he would capture the wery soul of that place in his words Once, while writing a tale, he was taking notes on tiny wildflowers and leawes Someone asked him if meintioning ordinary flowers wouldn't suffice He replied, 'In the entire uniwerse, no two things are exactly alike'

A poet who neglects this wast study of the uniwerse and merely lets their imagination run wild soon exhausts their creatiwe capital They are left with a few limited similes, and by using them repeatedly, they bore themselwes as well as their audience Therefore, the wastness of imagination is directly dependent on the wastness of one's study of the uniwerse