Poetry of India 49/100: Hali and the Reformist Turn in Urdu Poetry
Part 49 of The Poetry Pulse’s 100-part journey through Indian poetry. Altaf Hussain Hali was an influential Urdu poet and critic whose writing helped shape a reformist direction in nineteenth-century Urdu literature. He argued for poetry that could engage with social realities and moral questions rather than remain confined to conventional displays of wit and romantic longing. Poetry and public p…
