Final Year Project

Project Title

Chaand ke paar chalo - Let's Go Beyond the Moon

Description

My thesis 'Chaand ke paar chalo - Let's Go Beyond The Moon' focuses on the symbolism of the moon in Urdu poetry i.e. appearance of the moon as a symbol from history, cultures, poetry, and people in contemporary times. I wish to navigate the moon as a symbol in Urdu poetry by studying people from ancient times to today. I have written poems in Urdu (translated into English) using recurrent themes and symbols on the moon's appearance. I have chosen eight themes/symbols and have written poems in multiple forms i.e., ghazal, nazm, nasri nazm. I wish to underscore that poetry has more to do with thought/emotion and less to do with perfection of form. My thesis artefact is a website with digitally curated installations. Visitors will be asked to write a single line on the moon. Overtime, lines by multiple visitors will create short poems. This reinforces that poetry is about thought and will showcase the moon’s symbolism.