Author: Himanshu Dhuliya

Firaq Gorakhpuri was an eminent Urdu poet who wrote numerous Gazals , Nazams and Rubayiyans which are very popular among his admirers and followers of Urdu poetry in India and Pakistan. He was awarded ‘Gyanpith Award’ ( highest award for literature) by the Indian Government for his Urdu poetry. He was also a Professor of English Literature in the Department of English Literature at the University of Allahabad. In addition to Urdu poetry he also wrote English prose and was a literary critic. He is remembered in Allahabad as a great ‘conversationalist’ who would engage and regale his friends and students on varying subjects in his classrooms and at home. He wrote essays in English which are compiled in a book titled ‘A garden of Essays ‘, these are very popular among students appearing for competitive examinations and are on varying subjects-descriptive, imaginative, reflective etc. The essays are in simple and lucid language and reflect his ideology and thinking. Most of these essays are still relevant!