Urdu Articles Vol. 3 No. 04 (2025): AL-ĪMĀN Research Journal (October-December 2025) Published 30-12-2025

Stylistics of Iqbal: A Stylistic Analysis of “Shikwā”

اسلوبیات اقبال:”شکوہ“کا اسلوبیاتی مطالعہ

Authors

  • Dr. Fareeha Bukhari* Post Doctorate Scholar, Institute of Urdu Language and Literature, Oriental College, Punjab University Lahore Pakistan Author
  • Prof. Dr. Baseera Ambreen Director Institute of Urdu Language and Literature, Oriental College, Punjab University Lahore. Pakistan Author
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63283//IRJ.03.04/55
212 views 76 downloads

Abstract

Stylistics has long been recognized as the linguistic study of texts. In its contemporary understanding, however, stylistics extends beyond the analysis of linguistic components to examine how language choices convey meaning and produce aesthetic effects. Foregrounding is one of the central concepts in stylistic analysis. It refers to a technique through which a writer or poet deliberately deviates from or parallels conventional language patterns in order to attract the reader’s attention and establish a distinctive style. The long poem Shikwā by Muḥammad Iqbāl has remained an enduring favorite among Urdu literary critics and has increasingly drawn the attention of stylisticians. This paper seeks to explore how Iqbāl’s poetic style emerges through the systematic making and breaking of linguistic norms. It specifically examines the use of linguistic parallelism and linguistic deviation as key foregrounding devices that contribute to the poem’s stylistic richness. By analyzing these stylistic features, the study demonstrates how Iqbāl transforms language into a powerful expressive medium, enabling Shikwā to achieve both emotional depth and intellectual impact. The paper argues that the conscious manipulation of linguistic patterns not only enhances the poem’s aesthetic appeal but also secures its status as a timeless masterpiece of Urdu poetry.

Keywords

  • Stylistics
  • Foregrounding
  • Linguistic Deviation
  • Linguistic Parallelism
  • Poetic Style
  • Iqbāl
  • Shikwā
  • Literary Stylistics
212 76

Views & Downloads Statistics (Last 12 Months)

Monthly performance and trends of article views and downloads

Views (12 months)212
Downloads (12 months)76
Article Views PDF Downloads

Author Biography

  • Dr. Fareeha Bukhari*, Post Doctorate Scholar, Institute of Urdu Language and Literature, Oriental College, Punjab University Lahore

    *Corresponding Author

References 12 References

Bibliography and cited literature of the article

  1. 1
    Burke, Michael, “The Routledge Handbook of Stylistics, 2017, pg, 519 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315795331
  2. 2
    Leech, Geoffrey, “Language in Literature: Style and Foregrounding, Routledge, 2014, Pg. 29
  3. 3
    Leech, Geoffrey, “A linguistic Guide to English Poetry, pg 29
  4. 4
    Leech, Geoffrey, “Language in Literature: Style and Foregrounding, Routledge, 2014, Pg. 29
  5. 5
    ایضاً
  6. 6
    اقبال، کلیاتِ اقبال، اقبال اکادمی پاکستان، اشاعت ِ چہارم ، 1997ء
  7. 7
    ایضاً ص 190 تا 199
  8. 8
    slideshare.not/bhattigr8/types-of-parallelism, retrieved on 23-3-21
  9. 9
    Leech, Geoffrey, “A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry” Routledge, 2014, Pg. 65 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315836034
  10. 10
    Nemoianu, Virgil, "Levels of Study in the Semantics of Rhyme "Style, Volume. 5, No. 3, 1971 Pg. 246-264, JSTOR
  11. 11
    Leech, Geoffrey, “Language in Literature: Style and Foregrounding, Routledge, 2014, Pg. 29
  12. 12
    Li, Xin & Shi, Mengches, “A Stylistic Study on the Linguistics Deviation in E, E, Cummings poetry, Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 19(2), Pg 2354