Faiz Ahmad Faiz's Sense of criticism regarding Urdu Novel

فیض احمد فیض کاحاسۂ انتقاد اردو ناول کے حوالےسے

Abstract

Faiz Ahmad Faiz's greatness as a poet is unparalleled. Faiz shone like a bright star on the horizon of Urdu poetry at the beginning of the twentieth century. He respected Urdu poetry's traditions on an aesthetic level. Besides poetry, criticism was another aspect of his personality. Although Faiz was primarily a poet, criticism was not his forte. However, he occasionally wrote critical essays. Due to his poetic qualities, his critical efforts were often overshadowed. As a renowned poet, he couldn't achieve the same stature as a critic, but his critical ideas cannot be ignored. Meezan, a collection of Faiz's critical articles, was first published in 1960. It comprises 31 articles, divided into four parts. Some articles are theoretical, while others address literary issues or the art of writers and poets. The articles were written over nearly a quarter of a century, from 1937 to 1961. Faiz also explored novel criticism, with four articles in the third part focusing on Urdu novels. One article discusses the development of the Urdu novel, while the other three analyze novels by Ratan Nath Sarsar, Abdul Halim Sharar, and Prem Chand. Faiz's essay on Urdu is a seminal work, providing a concise commentary on the evolution of the Urdu novel. Despite their brevity, these essays demonstrate Faiz's critical vision. His criticism is characterized by clear, lively, and sharp prose, facilitating understanding. Considering Meezan's articles, Faiz may not be considered a prominent critic, but the importance of his critical consciousness cannot be denied.