The Philosophy of Existentialism in the Poetry of Anis Nagi

Abstract

From the very classical age, Urdu poetry has been marked by a strong sense of inwardness. Long before the formal advent of the existentialist movement, elements of existential thought were already discernible in our poetic tradition. Existentialism, essentially, is a movement concerned with inner conflict and the tensions of the self, and its philosophical dimensions found expression primarily through literary writings.

Anis Nagi was a multidimensional writer whose work bears the imprint of life’s realities and deep psychological complexities. He wrote predominantly in verse, and his poetry vividly articulates the anguish of the individual’s existential crisis. His personal life, too, was fraught with similar experiences of deprivation and frustration.

The poetry of Anis Nagi unfolds in two phases: the first reflects an intense confrontation with existential suffering, while the second gestures toward a release from anxiety and inner turmoil. A pronounced sense of human helplessness permeates his verse, and the full range of themes associated with existential crisis finds powerful expression in his poetry.