6 Sessions, Wednesdays, September 16 to October 21st, 6-8pm Eastern
10 students max, online
$475
Enroll in this class.
The ghazal is an ancient form that is malleable to the time and space that the poet occupies. It is lyric poetry in its most pristine form and it manages to defy tradition whilst being traditional. In this 6-week, online class, we will read classic and contemporary ghazals across time and space, including ghazal poets, Amir Khusro, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Agha Shahid Ali, Sarah Ghazal Ali and more. We'll use these as inspiration to devise our own ghazals with meter and rhyme (and remember that a couplet is in itself a ghazal too!).
This is both a learning and generative workshop. Although there won't be opportunity for extensive feedback, there will be plenty of opportunity for experimentation and craft. Beginners and intermediate poets are especially encouraged to enroll since the format assumes no prior knowledge of the Ghazal form.
Enroll in this class.
About the Instructor
Javeria Hasnain is a scholar, translator, and poet from Karachi, currently pursuing doctorate in English at Fordham University. She is the author of SIN (Chestnut Review, 2024) and the translator of Sara Shagufta's poetry collection from Urdu, EYES, EYES, EYES (trace press, 2026).
Student Testimonials
“A wonderful course that felt open and accessible as someone newer to poetry. Love Javeria’s teaching style and the opportunity to learn different forms. The class environment was intimate and warm. I genuinely hope Javeria teaches this (or a similar) workshop again.”
“Javeria ran a wonderful group. I am grateful to her for bringing her overall vibe and passion for poetry. She chose some fun forms to learn about and explore. She created a welcoming environment where we could feel comfortable learning, creating and sharing.”
“One of the most effective aspects of this course was that Javeria helped to create a sense of community within the class, we could have engaging discussions on the subject matter and best of all, have fun with it, which I think makes us learn effectively and have it stick with us for a lifetime. I’ll definitely miss having her as an instructor and being in her class.”
“Javeria was very passionate about the course material and made the class exciting to engage with. She had a very clear vision [for the sessions], and was able to adjust the course with ease whenever needed. Javeria also made this course very accessible, being over zoom, and also accessible to writers of all experiences.”