BestsellerGhazalGhalibCreative Writing

The Art of the Ghazal

From Mir to Ghalib to Faiz — read, feel, and write the greatest form in Urdu poetry.

5.0(2,276) 11K learners

Ustad Zafar HashmiUrdu Poetry · Poet & Scholar

24 hours 13 lessons All Levels Urdu + English Certificate Updated Jun 2026

What you'll learn

Read classical ghazals with full comprehension of vocabulary and form
Understand meter (beher), radeef, qaafiya, maqta and matla
Interpret the layered metaphors of Mir, Ghalib, and Faiz
Compose your own technically correct ghazal
Appreciate the Persian roots and evolution of the form

Course curriculum

3 modules · 13 lessons · 24 hours. Green lessons are free previews.

Why the ghazal enduresPreview14:00
Anatomy of a sherPreview22:00
Radeef, qaafiya, and rhyme25:00
Quiz: Form fundamentals12:00

Mir Taqi Mir — the god of poetry34:00
Ghalib — complexity and wit38:00
Iqbal — the philosopher poet29:00
Faiz — revolution and romance31:00
Quiz: The masters15:00

Meter without fear: an intro to aruz27:00
Building your first sher24:00
Assignment: Write a matla30:00
Workshop recordings — student ghazals42:00

About this course

The ghazal is the beating heart of Urdu poetry — and this course is your invitation into it. Ustad Zafar Hashmi guides you through four centuries of verse: the craft of the sher, the grammar of radeef and qaafiya, and close readings of Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal, and Faiz. By the end, you won't just understand ghazals. You'll write one.

Requirements

Ability to read Urdu script (or take Urdu Script: Zero to Reading first)
Love for poetry

Your teacher

Ustad Zafar Hashmi

Urdu Poetry · Poet & Scholar

5.029K students4 courses

A published poet and lifelong scholar of Urdu and Persian literature, Ustad Zafar Hashmi has spent three decades teaching the craft of the ghazal and the history of the subcontinent's greatest poets. His courses blend recitation, close reading, and the living tradition of the mushaira — students don't just study poetry with him; they begin to write it.

View full profile →

Student reviews

Vikram Nair

18 June 2026

Ustad sahab's recitation of Mir brought tears to my eyes. I wrote my first ghazal at 51. The monthly mushaira is the highlight of my calendar.

Frequently asked

Forever. One purchase gives you lifetime access to all lessons, future updates, and the course community.

Yes — every certificate carries a unique verification ID that anyone can validate on our public verification page. Thousands of students have used them in college and job applications.

Every lesson has a Q&A thread answered by teaching assistants within 24 hours. Members also get access to weekly live doubt clinics.