Representation of Partition in the Works of Selected Poets

Abstract

The Partition of India in 1947, which led to the creation of the sovereign nations of India and Pakistan, stands as one of the most traumatic events of the twentieth century. While it marked a significant political shift. The deeper impact of Partition was felt at the human level, through the widespread violence, mass displacement, rupturing of families and communities, and the immense psychological toll inflicted upon millions. This research delves into the lived experiences of Partition through how poetry has memorialized and processed these collective and individual traumas. Rather than reducing Partition to a mere political episode, this study seeks to examine how poets of the era channeled the anguish, dislocation, and moral devastation into powerful poetic expressions that remain relevant today. newlineFocusing on the works of key poets such as Amrita Pritam, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ali Sardar Jafri, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Gulzar and Sahir Ludhianvi, the research analyzes how their writings reflect the human cost of Partition. These poets, writing gave voice to grief and outrage, recorded the horrors of communal violence, and bore witness to the physical and psychological suffering especially that of women, who were subjected to mass sexual violence and social humiliation. newlineThrough their poetry, these writers documented not just the events of the Partition, but also the profound emotional, social, and cultural ruptures that continued to shape post-independence South Asia for decades. This work offers a thematic and critical exploration of how Partition poetry captures the violence, ideological tensions, and societal upheavals surrounding the 1947 division of British India. Through literary analysis, it highlights how poets portrayed experiences of loss, displacement, and identity crisis, bringing attention to the emotional and psychological dimensions of Partition. Poetry emerges as a powerful medium for articulating historical trauma, preserving memory, and expressing collective grief. newline newline