Subh-e-Azadi
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Through Partition of India, British Raj and Indian subcontinent
The poem illustrates split of Indian subcontinent in an imaginary style, covering aftermath and its related events as personally felt or realized by the poet. The poem also illustrates displeasure of the poet which he claimed or saw across India–Pakistan borders. Faiz expresses his emotional pain, sadness or distress about the cost paid for sovereignty and suggests a degree of resignation.
History
Subh-e-Azadi was written on the first day of Pakistan, highlighting the issues encountered or experienced by the new sovereign state. In this poem, the author expresses his disappointments experienced during or after the partition. It is also claimed he wrote the poem in solidarity with people killed or displaced during 1947 intrastate war that saw religious as well as patriotic violences from the both sides such as India and Pakistan.
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Analysis
Subh-e-Azadi is often recognized as a narrative poem. It reads naturally, conversationally or possibly emotionally and begins as a kind of cross-border depiction of partition. It consists of four to seven modern prose style stanzas of lines each. At some occurrences, the first line loosely rhymes with the third and fourth, and since it is an Urdu language poem, the second line doesn't rhymes with the next one. The rhythmic variation of the poem and its Urdu language naturalness affects the reader's sense of expectation. The poem is recognized one of the prominent writings of Faiz which was "praised" as well as "criticised" by the both nations.
Reactions
Subh-e-Azadi's lyricism associated with British political movement expresses the poet's sorrow about events occurred during or after partition. It was criticised by the notable authors, raising their concerns about its views and ideological style in which poet has opposed the sovereignty of the two nations (freedom/partition). Some writers criticised Faiz's sorrow over freedom and expressed their views citing "freedom had finally arrived". One of progressive poets Ali Sardar Jafri described the poem "half truth" citing "a poem like Subh-e-Azadi could be written by both an Islamist or a Hindu organization". A Pakistani scholar Fateh Mohammad Malik defended the poem citing "critics never managed to see in it his deep" and patriotic contribution made via poem.