Questions

Lovers are often inspired by the tiniest pieces of paper that contain words of endearment. The inspirational impact that the words have on their emotions can be seen in their eyes and by the heavy rise and fall of their chest. The words of poetry might be brief and concise but they are words that truly inspire women to fall deeper in love with the person that wrote those words.

Feelings of love inspire verses of poetry that are both romantic and heartfelt. The words can convey passion, intent, or outright sexual connotations that convey how much one person misses the other. Men at war write inspirational songs of love and place them on cassette tapes so that their true love can hear the sincerity in the words that are spoken.

Some poetry verses might allow someone who has lost the love of their life to vent their anger and begin to heal. Some of the inspirational verses that were written by those lost on September 11th are now considered cherished renderings that can never be repeated and are therefore priceless. Some of the words of love in the poetry verses will ring true for many years, until the person is through grieving and ready to start a brand new life.

There have been instances throughout history where inspirational poetry was used to get troops ready for battle. Egyptian Kings had inspirational messages inscribed in their tombs and some of those messages were lingering thoughts of love that they wanted to take into the afterlife to be read by a wife that died many years before. Some women convey their love inspired poetry pieces on the bathroom mirror and the love of their life will not be able to read them until the bathroom fog appears which is typically many hours after their night-long rendezvous.

High school students will often find innocent and awe inspiring words of love written by their current girlfriend in their school lockers when they are changing classes. The girlfriends might include a greeting card with an inspirational verse of poetry in it that might leave the recipient with a sense of calm and a secure feeling that they are loved no matter what happens after graduation.

Simple words of love that are etched in the sand can make a honeymoon more memorable. Sometimes the simple disclosure of Mr. and Mrs. on the hotel registry will be inspirational words of a poetic nature that is music to the ears of a newly married couple. Those poetic words will help solidify the commitment that they made to each other and help them recall the vows with poetic verses that they took at the altar only hours ago.


- Jim Brown

Poetry they say is an extension of your soul, a pouring of your spirit. All that is within you is expressed in words, be it love, pain, sorrow, care, etc. It is a great way to express oneself, if you have the talent to do so. There is a great difference between writers and poets. Poets are moody (a little more than writers) and they put feelings into words. When people read poetry, there are many who identify themselves with them. Many share the same thoughts and ideas. Poetry is soothing to your spirit and makes you become very introspective, which is good. Once in a while, we all need to think about other things in life, besides ourselves.

And one you have written these great poems, how about showing the world what a great poet you are? A simple way is to get your poems published in a magazine. Magazines are widely spread all over the market. People buy them because they are informative, cheap and easily accessible. They are fun and exciting too. The pictures and titbits are simply amazing. There are hundreds of magazines available in the market today, from Cookery to Health, Women fashion to sports. A wide and excellent range of magazines is available.

Poetry has a potential to make its way into magazines. If you are looking at literary magazines that are normally printed in universities, schools or colleges, then you could send your poetry to them and ask them to print it for you. It is even better if the subject of the magazine is in line with your poetry, but you can use it as an insert as well. This would work as well, because after reading something that is educational or serious, one gets to read this little script of a poem. And it could make you feel light, and see the world in different colors. Life has different sides to it, and we must have an open mind. A poet can help us understand the seriousness of life in a simple way.

You also have some commercial books that include magazines like Readers Digest, where you can send your poems. Sometimes you even get paid, if you agree to write for them regularly. These books have a mix of all kinds of articles. Poems are like a breath of fresh air.

Never ever agree to people or any publisher who asks you to pay for your poetry to be published, they are definitely bogus. Your poetry is of value. And you know that you have delivered well. So, don’t compromise. Be bold and push for your poetry to be published as a work of talent, where you should get paid.

If your poetry is, for example, on women or on love, then you could insert them in a woman’s magazine or a general type of magazine. Poetry speaks to a wide section of people, and it is not only for the elderly or literary experts. There is a lot of poetry that is easy for us to understand and feel. Imagine how much more meaningful a magazine would be and how much more enjoyable it would be to read, when poetries are published in it.


- Victor Epand

There has never been a better work at home idea, than doing what you really enjoy at your pace, and convenience. This makes me think about writing as an ideal work at home business idea. When we talk about writing, it is not really a career but a noble calling. It is for those of us who are talented and can construct sensible sentences. Writing is in fact an art which has very profound discipline. For those of us who can really write and have the talent, then making money at the comfort of your home has never been easier.

A writer is a very creative individual who can construct any writings in an engaging, compelling and in an informative manner. However, now-a-days any rookie who has some great ideas has turned writing to be a business venture to mint money. This in turn has turned a once a coveted undertaking to loose its respect, in turn, making most would-be writers to be demoralized and loose interest in writing. Though in great dispute and argument, writing holds a distinct position as one of the best art known to mankind. One can still make use of their God given writing skills and talent to make some good money to support their living. One of the best ways to do this is through freelancing. Freelance writing offers a person with the aperture to make a considerable amount of money. It is now a career to thousands of writers who have taken it as a full time engagement.

Once an individual decides that they want to take part in freelance writing, then they need real writing practice and equipment for their bid to be successive. Practice will help you to produce articles whose features are both compelling and of a great quality. If your article goes through the editorial review process successfully, then you are on your way in making some good income out of it. Your articles should feature regularly for you to get enough exposure and regularly money on it. Articles of profound interest to readers of both journals and magazines normally earns a writer some good returns. In fact, the returns are of great dimensions-the writers who write quality and engaging articles earn immense income from these publications.

Of late, the internet is offering big writing opportunities which one can invest in when it comes to writing. You could review all sorts of publications over the internet. One of the most popular methods of writing over the net is blogging. This is a good method for a writer to earn money. Your contributions to forums earns income. Other form of writings one can engage in over the net is through fillers, poetry, and educational write ups. To summarize all, there is still a variety of writing markets which have not yet been tapped and any body who have the guts to prosper can tap into them and earn good money for their troubles. So writer out there, why not give it a try?




- freddy ngiam

Wannabe writers, are full of excuses as to why they aren’t writing yet. Many of these excuses can be changed to proactive statements with a mere switch in attitude and perspective.

How many times have you read an article, and said to yourself, “I could have written this.” Well, why don’t you?

It took me a long time to discover that my passion in life was writing. Even though, as a teenager, I filled a whole blank book with poetry, which I wrote while trying to recover from the “first love’s” broken heart type of feelings.

It wasn’t until I made it a habit to start writing in my journal every morning, that I found out just how easy it was to get the writing juices flowing. Below is a list of some common excuses writer wannabe’s make for not writing. You will find suggestions along with each excuse on how to counteract those excuses and move forward to success.

1. EXCUSE #1 I don’t know where to start, or what to write about.

—Just get up each morning a few minutes earlier than the rest of the household, and start writing in a journal. Write about anything and everything that pops into your mind. Try to write at least 3 or 4 pages. Devote at least 10 minutes each morning to this ritual.

Do it with a pen and notebook, rather than the computer. There is a physical connection between the brain and your fingers on the paper.

Keep your statements positive. Try to eliminate words like, “I need to” or “I should” or “I have to” replacing them with more affirming phrases. Using “I am” and “I can” changes your whole focus. I find just replacing the three phrases above makes the writing process much more positive and results oriented.

You will be amazed at the material that you can pull from this journal that can be used in your daily projects.

2. EXCUSE #2 I don’t have any experience or formal schooling in writing.

—-With the internet, and all the writing books available today, it is easy to teach yourself what it takes to write successfully. Just jump in and get your feet wet, give it a try.

Have someone you trust read over your writing, and then give you their opinion. But don’t stop with one person’s point of view.

Some of the best feedback I have received, has come from people wanting to use my “free to reprint” articles. I remember one lady email me saying, “I really enjoyed reading the passionate article you wrote on this subject.” Up to that point, I had never looked at my writing as passionate.

3. EXCUSE #3 I don’t have enough confidence in my writing abilities, I can’t measure up to what is already out there.

—-Following the same advice as above, as you jump in and do it, your confidence will grow. Publish some free content articles, to promote a website, and discover just what people like and don’t like. With feedback comes confidence. It is hard not be confident in your writing abilities when you get showered with requests to use your articles in others ezine’s and on their websites. :o)

4. EXCUSE #4 Writing will take too much time away from my family and other responsibilities.

—-On the contrary. Writing can actually benefit and help you with your other responsibilities. By establishing a morning routine of writing in your journal, you will get to know yourself better, and grow both in professional and personal development. These positive changes to you will affect everyone you come into contact during the rest of your day. This includes members of your family.

5. EXCUSE #5 I am not very creative.

—-Everyone has creativity in them. Some people have a harder time tapping into it than others. By creating a time and space for writing in your life, you are giving yourself permission to tap into your own creative subconscious resources and intelligence. You may be surprised and amazed at your own creative results.

6. EXCUSE #6 What I know has already been written.

—-Did you know, you could give 5 writers an assignment on the same subject and each one of them will come back with an article with a very unique and different focus. It is because we all look at things from different perspectives. Our perspectives are developed by our own individual life experiences and the lessons we have learned. You can take what is out there and put your own unique slant on it.

7. EXCUSE #7 I am scared, not sure I can handle criticism and rejection.

—-As mentioned already, by just doing it, jumping in and giving it a try, you will gain confidence and grow. Rejection is just someone’s opinion. Get another opinion, and then another.

Some of the best books published in history were rejected dozens of times before someone took a chance on them and would eventually hit the New York Times bestseller’s list.

So there you have it. Stop making excuses and jump in the water and get wet. It will be more fun, rewarding and maybe even profitable for you once you actually take some daily action steps. Who knows, you might even make a big splash upon entrance to the pool of what’s floating around. . :o)

As you begin getting your work out there, ideas will come to you so quickly it may be overwhelming at times. Just remember to write down your ideas, keeping notes on topic ideas, titles, and themes to research. The list will be endless.

Use these intuitive thoughts to spark your thought process when you actually sit down with pen to paper. You will find many stories, experiences, and lessons learned that can easily be incorporated into a promotional article. “So start writing now, may the force of your creativity be with you!”


- Dolly Kapil

I started writing when I was in college. I started with live journal, which I cannot access now. It was not proper ‘writing’ but it was all blogs and poetry. I always thought that I was not much of a writer, since I am not a good reader also. That’s one of my weakness, maybe. I easily get bored, and among my mom, dad and sis Im the only one who does not enjoy reading books. Although I have read a few already. I have read The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson, it is a book about this gambler and how he does his cons and in the end he got conned. I think it was non fiction. But I cannot remember. Then there was Omerta. It was Mario Puzo’s. The guy who created the Corleone’s. I have also read Love In The Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Marquez. Oh yeah I have read some Hardy Boys, and I do own a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book before. And I own two books today. A book on Creative Advertising and the Love in the Time of Cholera.

As you can see, I do not love books. But I love writing. I did not realize that I now have 2 blogger accounts, both I think I will no longer update, a multiply account which I started as my ‘new’ poetry/blog site but later I realized that it got too crowded. I moved to wordpress also. I am going to stay there, for now at least. I used to write some nice poems, at least I think they are, a few of my friends think so too. Have not done any for a while. I might be making some soon.

My forte, perhaps is love, and love that is painful. I guess that is why I cannot write them now because I am in a good relationship, and I do not feel any pain or confusion anymore. And I sometimes think maybe it is not fair for her if I still write those ’songpoems’ of lost love, and all that. But maybe my girlfriend would understand. And even support me.

Oh I always wanted to write a song. Though I have written a few already, a million of them are in my head. And now that I do not have a guitar it makes it even harder. I lost my touch. Maybe, but there is still hope. I believe that someday I can come up with a really good one. One that will make the world cry. haha

This Article is getting boring and long, and my very own capacity to stay focused is starting to evade me. So I will just have to end it now.


- erik

The cultural heritage of Kashmir is as rich as it is varied. This mental child of ‘Kashyapa’ has been the recipient of fondest love and bountiful benevolence from Nature and has consequently enthralled the whole world by its superb physical charm from times immemorial. To crown all, this physical grandeur has been very usefully groomed by Kashmiris in weaving the rainbow. Coloured texture of mental and spiritual attainments. In many respects they have been pioneers in evolving a cult of philosophy in tune with their environment and called it as ‘Shaivism’. A galaxy of rhetoricians have taken pains in prescribing norms and standards for making the literature in general and poetry in particular more acceptable and representative. To say squarely, not a single branch of literature has been left out by these savants without their impress and alchemic touch.

Not only this, Kashmir has been the testing-ground of three universal religions of the world-Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. The traits of all these religions have fused into the attitude of a Kashmiri like milk and candy; and it is no surprise that though bearing Hindu or Muslim or even Buddhist names, a Kashmiti even to-day in actual practice is a living embodiment of Buddhist compassion, Hindu tolerance and Muslim zest for life. Therefore with such a Catholic background, secularism to a Kashiniri is not a political expedient but an article of faith ingrained in his blood from the hoary times to the present day. ‘Kalhana’ in his monumental History of Kashmir ‘River of Kings’ has not mentioned even one Communal trouble between the Buddhists and the Hindus when a voracious race was in progress between their respective adherents to make theire own tenets popular and thus steal march over other faiths. In contrast to this, Buddhist Kings have donated large sums for the erection of Hindu temples and shrines and vice versa. Religious battles have always been fought here on paper, in a more rational way, or through dialogues which never left bad taste in the mouths. During the Islamic period Sultan Zain-ul-ab-Din Badshah in an admirable way and forsooth like a Kashmiri to his marrow renovated demolished Hindu places of worship and even started ‘Langars’ at Places of pilgrimages for feeding the hungry and the devout. ‘ShriVara’ in his ‘ZainaTarangini’ has mentioned such ‘Satr’ or Langars, one of which was located at the foot of Mahadeva mountain.

In this way, when in the 14th-15th century an alien culture knocked at the mountain-doors of Kashmir for being shown in, the values cherished by Kashmiris all along had already prepared a hospitable ground for its happy welcome. The puritanic prosletyzing tenacity of Islam in the absence of any mentionable reaction on the part of Kashmiris compellingly changed to more logical and rational methods. In this political and religious upheaval, long-cherished secular outlook of the faith of the people would have received a jolt, but at this juncture literature came to our succour.

At the confluence of Hindu and Muslim cultures ‘Laileshwari’ or ‘Lalla- Deda’ stands like a collossus beckoning people to eschew differences of colour, creed or faith and yoke themselves to attain Identity with Him– the All-pervasive Transcendental Force called God as such, Therein all are equal, the worldly appellations drop down like slough from a snake. The pursuit of mundane is an exercise in futility; Therefore the goal should be beyond mundane-materiality; It is no use counting mile-posts of material gains or losses and getting lost in its maze; the eye should be on the destination– the real and permanent.

For reasons obvious, the social fibre of the Kashmiris was also undergoing transformation at that time and the present could not have been in any way palatable to the denizens of Kashmir at large; so like an awake artist ‘Lalla’ dismissed the present as trash and ushered in spirituality in its all shades ‘Being’ was replaced by ‘to be’. By borrowing sweetness from the ‘unknown’ ‘Lalla’ virtually transformed the frustration or people into the hope to live with ever -appetising gusto. ‘Lalla’ could not help striking a happy compromise between Kashmiri shaivism and Islamic sufism. It was in tune with the times. To quote Dr. Sufi ‘Even long before the formal conversion to Islam, Islamic sufism had already entered tho valley.” Cultural conquest is always a pre-requisite to any other kind of conquest. A Kashmiri by nature tolerant and catholic kept his windows open for inhaling the fresh air of sufism. He even assimilated and owned much of it what was good and rejuvenvating.

But, by the time Habba Khatoon’s inebriating imagination began to find words, this climate of spirituality and mental drill had become suffocating and even stale in the context of fast changing economic conditions and human values; emphasis on individnal instead of on the society had become the accepted norm of public relations and thinking. The extrovert attitude yielded place to introspection. So, the poet in these changed environs harnessed his imaginative faculty to interpret his or her own feelings; Hence, Habba at the very outset of her poetic career rebelled against the prevalent standards of poetry-writing. Textbook idealism is not found in the dictionary of her pulsating emotions. She did not also try to bridge the distance between the ideal and the real. Her substantial contribution in this domain is to interpret her life as it was and not what it should be. Total absence of didactic content in her poetry (what ever is available to us) lends support to our belief, that she always believed in translating her feelings without any redundant appendages of ideal, faithfully and with sincerity of purpose. Her poetry consequently is a happy blend of sweetness and pathos. She has preferred to live in the present, past was beyond her reach and future out of her comprehension.

Kashmiri nation at that time was groaning under internal exploitation and external aggression. The last indigenous ruler of Kashmir Yusaf Shah Chak personified in himself levity and depravation in every sense of the word. “His own Subjects being fed up with his way-ward conduct had to invite the mughals to get rid of such an incapable and debauche ruler,” Writes Dr. Sufi in his ‘Kasheer’. His regal writ could not run outside his palace where passion and carnality were reigning supreme. This trait of inviting aliens to redress their troubles is not new to Kashmiri character at all. Kalhana has alluded to this many times when the natives falling foul with their rulers invited the neighboring Kings of Lohara (Lorin) and Parantosa (Poonch) to sit on the throne of Kashmir. The great queen ‘Dida’ herself belonged to Lorin and installed her brother Jayasimha as the king of Kashmir just before her death. So, the Mughals who had vulturous eyes on Kashmir already, but their incursions bad been thwarted by Kashmiri twice before, exploited such a situation to their fill. This was a welcome addition to their diplomatic bag of conquests. Yusuf Shah at last awoke to find his own people arrayed against him. The Mughals arrested him and forced him to live a life of solitary confinement at a remote village in Bihar outside Kashmir, where he ate his heart away in sole distress and breathed his last. It has been contended by some overzealous Kashmiris lately that uprising of Yusuf Shah against the Mughals symbolized the urge of Kashmiris to fight external domination. Unfortunately, the contemporary historical evidence of this period does not, in any way, confirm this view, however laudable it may seem to be.

Moreover, the famine of 1576 A.D. due to the untimely snowfall multiplied the miseries of the people. The devastating effects of this unprecedented famine persisted for full three years and Kashmiris passed their days on starvation level more or less. To this injury insult in the shape of ‘Shia-Sunni’ troubles was added. Sectarianism became pronounced and it let loose all the evils which nurture and sustain it. In such a disappoioting state of affairs, the poet naturally has to close his eyes against all that is happening around and in self-deceit revels in the fanciful panorama of his heart. Habba could not afford to be an exception to this Universal truth. Hence her love-poems do breathe an atmosphere of total self-absorption being blind and deaf to the environmental vissicitudes. These may well be labelled as throbbing vibrations of self-immersion but not self forgetfulness. Her ego is always pronounced in each line of her verse.

Unfortunately for us we are actually at sea about the life of this Nightingale of Kashmir. No authoritative contemporary record has been unearthed so far to test the veracity of the popular tradition which associates Habba with Yusuf Shah Chak. Moreover, we have no hesitation in doubting the credence of the contemporary records as the History writing even to-day is not free from strings of pressures and pulls. During the rule of the English the events of 1857 have been mentioned as Mutiny, and those very events under the Indian rule have been treated as war of Independence; A dispassionate account of historical events devoid of personal projections is rare even to-day when every man proclaims that he is free and has been given every opportunity for independent thinking and expression of opinion thereof. In those hoary days, when history was compiled at the behest of the king, perhaps in proportion to the munificence the ruler lavished on such mercenaries, distortion of historical facts has always come in handy for the rating clique and its sycophants. In the same way, there is a thin line between aggression and liberation; In such a dilemma the verdict of people should have been the guiding principle for us all, but wherefrom it is to be made available?

Moreover, the evidence of the historical data which is still in manuscript form and has not undergone the acid test of public opinion cannot be relied upon. In Kashmir even to-day people who enjoy leisure and have aptitude are given to record their own experiences in which casual references to rulers have also been made in Sanskrit, Persian or Urdu; but for reasons obvious these cannot be termed as histories as such. Perhaps every Kashmiri house-hold having mentionable literary background of any order can boast of such perional record. By no stretch of imagination these can be treated as historical evidence worth quoting. Therefore, the chronicles written to order or as a product of personal caprice have no place in literary or purely historical criticism, Kalhana has not mentioned the great Shaiva philosopher Abhinavagupta even once. Does it follow from it that Abhinavagupta was not a historical personality at all?

In the face of such scanty historical material at our disposal, we have perforee to fall back upon the popular tradition which in unequivocal and unambiguous terms has all long associated Habba with Yusuf Shah. In the reconstruction of histories of literature the tradition has played no mean part. This kind of unbroken evidence casnot be dismissed as cheap and unreliable altogether. The tradition passes from generation to generation by word of mouth. If in literary criticism this had not been taken cognizance of, then the religious lore of entire humanity would pass on as forged; Actually the case is reverse of it. Tradition has all along held the vedas, the Bible and the Koran as the most respected and the most genuine of all the available literature that has come down to us by the word of mouth. Tradition embraces in its ambit the force of public opinion which cannot be disregarded at any cost. Public opinion in its turn breeds sentimental attachment, and this sort of living testimony is far superior to other media of evidence. Perhaps this irresistible public opinion forced the later Persian chroniclers to make a mention of Habba though two centuries or more after her death. The reasons for maintaining Sphinx-like silence regarding ‘Habba’ by the contemporary chronilcers may be attributed to the aversion Sunni scholars bad for the wayward behaviour of a sunni girl in consenting to become a ‘Keep” to Shia Yusuf Shah. The Shias on the contrary did not like to tarnish the image of the shia king Yusuf by making a mention of his licentious disposition towards Habba. The Hindu Historian could not afford to offend these both sects hence sat on the fence. Therefore, instead of adopting an iconoclastic attitude a critic should own a positive outlook and respect the tradition and the sentiments of people from which he cannot alienate himself. Later skt chroniclers i.e JonaRaja or Shrivara have not mentioned ‘Lalla’ at all though being her contemporaries, yet the popular tradition has had her day in as much as ‘Lalla’ lives before our mental eyes even to-day. Historicity in ordinary and unsophisticated parlance connotes systematisation of facts, values, tradition and outlook. Therefore, the role of tradition can in no way be under estimated.

When the dust of such controvercy had settled down, Birbal Kachru and Hassan Khohyami, the first chroniclers in this field, thought it fit to mention her by name. Both these historians have given an account of ‘Habba’ though in a slip-shod manner; but piecing the incidents together we can build her personality without any fear of contradiction or historical irrelevance. According to them “Habba” was the scion of a well-to-do peasant family living at Chandrahara, a village near the famous Saffron fields of Pampur. She had been married to Aziz Lone one of her collaterals. The proverbial animosity between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law dampened the marital relations between Habba and her spouse. She was forced to live with her parents. ‘Habba’ at such a tender and impressionably age could not recover from the rebuff she received at the very threshold of her conjugal life. Her despondency flowed out in the form of poetry pulsating with unartificial fusion of sound and sense. He fame reached the amorous ears of Yusuf Shah, who admitted her to his harem as a ‘Keep’, and did not allow her the status of a queen. Both the chroniclers are punctillious about using the phrase “sharing the same bed,” about her.

Further, Mohammed Din ‘Fauq’ and Abdul Ahad Azad have provided us with her actual name ‘Zoon’, as faultless as the moon. Mahjoor has also accepted this name without a murmur. ‘Habba Khatoon’ presumably a more respectable mode of address than ‘Zoon’ must have been bestowed upon her when she joined the harem of Yusuf Sbab in keeping with the royal ettiquette. There should be no surprise, or eybrows need not be raised when a Kashmiri lady is supposed to have two names. In olden days, Kashmiri girls after their wedlock earned a new name in their inlaw’s house. This custom has persisted with Kashmiri Pandits even now.

A section of popular belief ascribes her home to Gurez where a contiguous mountain and a spring are named after her.

Internal evidence as culled from her verses confirms the first view:-



“My parental home is situated at the tableland of Chandra Hara.”

Her another name can be inferred from this:-



“I am bemoaning my lot in Plaintive cries, the Moon (Kashmiri Zoon) has been devoured by an eclipse.”

Shri Amin Kamil’s well-edited booklet containing only twenty songs is the only authentic source material available to us for commenting upon Habba- Khatoon’s poetry; however, in addition to these, Kashmiris ascribe many more poems to her and these have been printed. As long as an anthology of all her available songs is not compiled and given the seal of an authoritative edition, we have to confine our comments to these twenty songs only. Interpolations will be there, more essentially so, her extraordinary popularity has been a bane for the original texts composed by her. The more popular a poet, the more danger is there of interpolations creeping into his compositions and after the mischief has been done it seems very dificult to distinguish gold from dross, and often dross passes on for gold.

‘Habba’ is very proud of her lineage:-



“My parents brought me up with fondest possible care; A host of maid- servants was at my beck and call. I could not fore-see that the dreams nourished by me would be shattered to the ground. No body’s youth with childlike innocence should go unrewarded like that of mine.”

‘Habba’ testifies to her being very well-read:-



“My parents sent me to a distant school for receiving tuition. The teacher there beat me with a tender stick mercilessly and ignited a fire within me; No body’s youth with child- like innocence should go unrewarded like that of mine.”

She did not ignore the religious education also:-



“I committed thirty ‘Siparas’ of the Holy Quran to memory in a single sitting, faithfully adhering to the diacritical intonations; yet the valentine punctuated with love could not be read with such facile speed. What will you gain by my passing away.”

She has woven the scene of her marriage in these words:



“My parents blessed me as a fortunate daughter, and beckoned to me that the in law’s were waiting in the compound for taking me away. My silver- studded palanquin had golden ear-rings hangingdown on all sides. Alas ! innocent youth of any body, with child-like innocence should not go unrewarded as that of mine.”

But all this pomp and splendour could not pacify the wrath of her mother-in-law :-



“The mother-in law grabbed me by my hair, which stung me more than the pangs of death. I fell asleep on the supporting plank of the spinning wheel, and in this way, the circular wheel got damaged. I cannot reconcile myself with the atrocities of the inlaws, O! my parents, please come to my rescue.”

Habba unfolds her love for her husband like this:-



“I have been waiting for long with extreme patience for you - O! my love (or Aziz) do not be cross with your moon (zoon)! I have adorned myself lusciously from top to toe; so enjoy my youth as lively and inviting as a pomegranate flower.”

But Aziz did not relent and Habba bad to experience the pangs of forced widowbood:-



“I am on pin-pricks for want of an avid response to my love; my bubbling youth is on its ebb. My awake parents, do read in to the hint I have dropped.”

The stings of separation from her husband in her prime-youth can better be imagined than described. Perhaps her beiog on the brink of human patience can justify her consenting to give company to Yusuf Shah Chak. She could not wait for legal or other formalities involved in sharing his bed. This might seem not very laudable, yet it is true of every maiden who is a slave to her senses and whose warmth of love has all along remained unrequitted, moreso, it is all the more pronounced in the case of a lady who would like to wreak venegance on tbe callous society not reciprocating her sentiments, no matter if she loses ber identity in this bargain.

For the span of years in which Habba lived, no cogent authority is available. Mohd Din ‘Fauq’ and in his foot- steps Abdul Ahad Azad have given her life span from 1641 to 1552 A.D. on the authority of ‘Tarikh Baharistan Shahi.’ But on close examination Shri Amin Kamil refutes this and says that these dates are nowhere found in this chronicle. However, her association with Yusuf Shah can give us a clue as to the years in which she was still alive. The reign of Yusuf Shah has been determined as 1579-1585 A.D.; so we can safely assume that during these years at least Habba was living. Akbar annexed Kashmir in 1585 A.D. imprisoned Yusuf Shah and externed him to Bihar; so, when her paramour Yusuf tell on bad stars, Habba must have eaten her heart away in disgust and dismay. This was the second rebuff she received at the bands of the Destiny, and this impulsive Lady unresponsive in love, unaccepted by the society still did not own defeat. She created an exuberant world of her own, punctuated it with her emotions resonant with the dirge of what she had got and what she lost. She lived in her thoughts, so to say.

Such a state of mind is a fertile ground for the induction of Romanticism. Habba deliberately ignoring the less pleasant side of her life indulged in dreamy habit of mind. Romanticism is the acme of poet’s independence of feelings; under its spell he refuses to be bound by conventional restraints. A romantic poet has either the nerve to rebel nor the will to compromise with his environment. Unmindful of what is happening around him, he delves deep into the inner most recesses of his heart and without fear or malice pours out his felings as they ooze forth. Such a poet is incapable of clothing his emotions with artificial adorations. Romanticism may thus he called the highest water-mark of poet’s individual thinking.

Habba may be called the harbinger of such kind of poetry in Kashmiri. She is the originator of popular love-lyrics in Kashmiri literature. However, her love is earthly; she could not rise above it; Her passionate love has its source in the enjoyment or senses and not their denial in any case. She does not feel fed-up with sensual pleasures, but at times would like to revert to these with ever-increasing appetite. She cannot reconcile herself with the sour-truth of being a widow who has perforce to abjure sensuality. She would not like to show herself off as a pious lady either, under the cover of so-called piety myriad sins do thrive when a woman is not mentally ready to own a salutary course of life for herself. Her poetry, therefore, is a candid expression of her feelings which has immenseley contributed to her popularity. She does not like to play hide and seek. Her appeal is straight and unsophisticated.

Habba’s forte is love-in-separation. She has not sung even a single verse eulogizing the munificence of Yusuf Shah when she was in her company. In the words of Kalidasa ‘Separation chastenes love,’ Hence, Habba like a born-poet selected ’separation’ for her treatment of love. Her verses throughout waft an air of restlessness and not contentment; Calm Composure and resignation to be in turmoil to fate are absent in her poetry. She seems sit cross-legged, She believes in winning love by bodily excellence alone:-



“I will apply on my body of spotless silvery sheen, the greasy whiteness of milky creams; I am imnmensely enamoured of thee; I will anoint myself with scented sandal-water. MY love! I will relish to be your slave.”

Even though Habba has repeatedly and even lustily made a call to flesh only, yet her songs reverberate an aroma of lasting flavour; though these songs may sound as sensual to a moralist, yet ‘Habba’ has made no secret of her sensuous attitude to life. She has all along wanted to drink deep at the fountain of life without any saintly pretensions. Therein her moral-courage shines the best. Her voracious hunger in this respect seems unsatiated. To her present holds the mirror to what she lost and what she had gained. Her songs are a lament in every sense of the term. She is firm-footed in her convictions and does not vacillate. This is perhaps the most glaring trait of her poetry. She has no concern for morality or ethics in the sense that she would not elect to be a preacher: She revels in being always loud. She revels in being immersed in her imagination only, yet her ego is always loud. She is not shy of parading her beauty and is rather conscious of it also. Even though she has paid a heavy price for it, still she has no regrets in this behalf.

Habba’s refrain is love wedded to pathos; consequently she has kept the windows of her mind shut and her heart is only wide-awake in emitting and receiving images from her fancied dreams. The pathetic content of her poetery is all the more aggravated by the elusive nature of her ideal which has consequently earned for her the epithet ‘Nightingale’ of Kashmir most squarely. She does not subscribe to the view that “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” In the absence of any appropriate and meaningful response to her simmering emotions, she has opted for self- suffering, telling beads of her tear-drops. Be it Heemal, Arnimaal or Habba Khatoon, it is the Kashmiri woman bemoaning her lot in pathetic plaintives, the common subject with all these, the victims of the conspiracy of circumstances. Habba Khatoon essentially is a typical example of such a woman who cannot make any kind of compromise with life. In this predicament she could have turned a rebel, but, she instead of it, becomes a martyr by consent. This is exactly the most salient feature of Kashmiri womanhood. Towards the closing years of her life, Habba does express her remorse for not compromising with the life as it is, but fashioning it according to her imagination; none the less in the same breath she admits that missed opportunities need not be recalled. She does indicate the ‘Achilles Heel’ of her personality-to rule only and not to get ruled:-



“I, Habba Khatoon, is definitely sorry for not adapting myself submissively to the moonish caprices or my lover. I do recapitulate those missed opportunities, but it is now too late to atone for these; therefore, You, my lover! should not be cross with me.”

A sense of guilt seems to haunt this love-lorn lady, but at the same time her self-willed nature dismisses this weight on her heart by taking refuge under the excuse that race is already run. This subdued expression of penitence does portray her loud thinking in unguarded moments, but like a wakeful artist, she cancels it in the second breath. She does not flop, as the idiom goes.

Habba’s songs are musical in essence and pathetic in spirit. She has also been acclaimed as a melody-queen of Kashmiri poetry. Her popularity is also due to the fact that her songs are not only a replica of Kashmiri sentiments but also a potent vehicle of Kashmiri music. Her originality in this sphere is undisputed. Even though she has appropriated a sizable chunk of Persian words and Persian similes, yet she has refrained from owning Persian code on metres. She has in their place introduced home-spun Kashmiri melodies pertaining to rhyme and rhythm in her quatrains.

Therefore, her songs self-contained in each quartrain can be more profitably compared with the ‘Vaks’ of Lalleshwari or ‘Shruks’ of Nund- Reshi from the style-point of view only. These cannot be classed under ‘Gazal’ or ‘Nazam’ of Persian metrics, despite the fact that Habba has a tendency to repeat refrains.

Therefore, it is not without reason that ‘Mahjoor’- the doyen of Kashmiri romantic poets, has dealt a dig at one of his celebrated predecessors- Rasul Mir in this pregnent verse, for not paying well-deserved compliment to Habba Khatoon:-



“Rasul Mir of Shahabad has profusely alluded to the moon of Qandhar; Why has he been averse to the moon (Zoon, Kashmiri) of Chandrahar?”

 


- rayanbhat

When you choose to send a greeting card to a special person, you are looking forward to their appreciation. There are many ways in which you can make cards have the impact or effect you are looking for. First, all cards are meant to touch the hearts of recipients and communicate a particular message. When you want to really make a difference with the cards you send, you need to look into the kind of greeting cards message you include on them. Messages should be emotive yet straight forward and clear. They should not appear to be forced and for this reason, the best greeting cards messages are those from the heart. If you really love your friends and family, you should not have any problem expressing your emotion and affection towards them. However, even if you love them, sometimes it can be pretty hard to really express your emotion in the right manner. This is because you might be worried whether the message will come out right or not.

A good greeting cards message has several properties. First, it shows how the person sending feels. It also shows the kind of state the person sending was at. In other words, you will get to read the mood and state of mind of the sender. A good greeting cards message should not be vague. Therefore, as the recipient, you should not struggle to find out what it means. In some messages, people are able to read between the lines and, apart from there being clear, some messages are intentionally mysterious. For example, cards sent by people who love each other romantically are very edgy. They are exciting and they leave many wondering. This is a good thing because they communicate the romance and mystery. The best messages are those that are personalized. This means that cards should have messages written by sender. Many cards come with an already written massage but, to make it more personal, you should strive to express your feelings. However, many cards that already have messages on them may capture what you have in mind and you may not have to write your own message.

A good greeting cards message should speak for itself without the need for further explanation. I think this is the greatest property. Some people will use poetry as the wording when it comes to messages. Others may even use famous quotes to stress what they have to say. Others will take a few words from a favorite song and include it in the message. This is very special and, more and more people should strive to do something different when it comes to the wording of messages. If you are not a very poetic person, you do not have to strain to make an impression; go with what you have. It is not about which message is most beautiful but, it is about which emotions are real and sincere. Therefore, the next time you are writing messages on cards, take time to really do something special for your loved ones.


- Francis Githinji

Writing articles for the school paper can be fun and interesting.  You can be the journalist who covers the school’s basketball game or spring concert.  Maybe you will go to school board meetings and report back to your fellow students on the decisions the board made.  You might interview the principal about the new classrooms being built because the school is expanding.  There are all kinds of stories waiting to be told by you.  But writing stories for the newspaper is not the same as writing an English paper or poetry.  Journalism has its own guidelines.  The following will give you the basic guidelines and some ideas on how to make your stories shine.

The first paragraph.  The first paragraph is the most important paragraph in a news article for it gives the most critical information about the story.  Space is limited in newspapers so news articles present the most important information first.  Subsequent paragraphs contain information in order of descending importance.  This allows the editor the option of shortening any story to fit the space available by cutting from the bottom.

Who, what, where, when, and, maybe, why, and how.  In the first paragraph include all the basic facts of the news story.  Who did what?  Where did the event occur?  When did it happen?  Sometimes explaining why and how helps the reader understand more about the importance of the event or helps the reader connect to the story.  For example, pretend you were covering your school’s basketball game last Friday night.  Here is how the first paragraph of the story might appear.  The comments in parentheses show the basic facts.

In a knuckle-bitingly close (how) game (what), the Cassadaga Cougars (who) topped the Independence 76ers (who) by 1 slim point last Friday night (when) on the 76ers’ home court (where).  The final score was 68 to 67.  Senior Langston Barnard led the scoring with 22 points.

Make the story interesting.  There are several techniques you can use to make your story interesting to your reader which will be covered in the next few paragraphs.  The first technique is quotes.  People want to know what others have to say about the event.  You can quote experts, celebrities, or the ordinary Joe.  Following up on our example above, you might interview the coach, some of the players, the school principal, or people in the stands.  You could also generate interest by explaining the importance of the event in relation to other things.  Continuing on with our example, you could talk about where the team now stands in the rankings or how this game’s performance compared to other games this season.   

After the game, Coach Humbart said, “I am proud of the way the team fought through to the very end.  They just kept coming back each time the 76ers scored.”  The team had struggled earlier in the season with consistency and keeping the pressure on through the entire game.  The last three games have been narrow victories.  The team still stands a chance to play in the county tournament if it can win three more games this season.

As an alternative you could tell the story from the point of view of a player.  This alternative creates what is called a “human interest” story.  People are interested in how others feel and what they do.  Readers enjoy learning how someone overcame adversity to succeed or survive. 

Use clean, crisp English.  News writing should be short and to the point.  News stories deliver the facts quickly.  However, readers get bored when they see the same story with just the facts changed.  Choose each word carefully and provide not only information but a sense of urgency and impact.  Take another look at the first sentence in the example paragraph.  In theory each time the school’s team played a game, the newspaper could use the same sentence and just change the essential facts.  What if the newspaper ran a sentence like this each time the team played?

The Cassadaga Cougars played the Independence 76ers last Friday night and won 68 to 67. 

Boring!  Much better to run the original example sentence.

Add pictures.  Find out if the school photographer will be covering the event as well.  If not, take a camera with you.  Take lots of pictures so your editor can choose the perfect one to accompany your story.  Action pictures work best, but they need to be in focus and have good contrast between the lights and darks in the picture.  If there is too much gray in a photograph, it will not print distinctly enough for your readers to tell what is happening.  Get as close as you can to your subject by “zooming” the camera lens in or moving yourself.  Make the subject fill the picture frame.  Avoid background distractions.  Take pictures in landscape format and in portrait format to allow for different layout options in the newspaper. 

Be accurate.  A news reporter’s responsibility is to accurately report on event.  Double check the spelling of names, addresses, scores, dollar figures, and other factual information you collect for your story.  If you have a recording device, record interviews.  Write down details on a notepad.

Be fair.  Remember to cover all sides of any controversial issue.  Contact people who are advocating for different solutions to an issue and give them a chance to explain their stand on the issue.  When you report the issue, clearly state the differing points of view.  Allow readers to come to their own conclusions about how they view the issue. Journalism is about seeking the truth and giving unbiased reports.

Spell Check.  Make a diligent search for errors, including using spell check and grammar check, before sending your story to the editor.

Bylines.  A byline is the acknowledgement of who wrote the story.  In some newspapers, the byline is simply your name.  Other newspapers allow a little more space for lauding the author of the article.  Bylines give readers some insight into the article writer’s expertise.  Examples are “By Kevin Block, Sports Reporter” or “By Lucy Witt, covering education issues in the Piedmont”.  Ask your editor about the newspaper’s policy on bylines.

Apply these guidelines to write quality articles that grip, inform, and entertain your readers. 


- Celia Webb

Weddings symbolize your love for one another. You are starting out a new life together and entering holy matrimony. What better way to show your love and devotion to one another when using wedding poetry at your wedding. Poets have been writing about love and marriage for centuries. You need not dig deep to find a fitting poem to use on your special day. If you love the idea of adding sentimental touch to your ceremony, here are some ideas for using wedding poetry on your big day.

Use Wedding Poetry on your Invitation

Many couples find that they are at a loss of words when it comes to wording their wedding invitations. You know you need to give the basic information about your wedding invitation, but you want to make your invitation as unique as you possibly can. You can include a line from your favorite poet on your wedding invitation. Your guests will see how much you love one another by this sweet touch.

Use Wedding Poetry on your Programs

Another way you can inject a little of your personality into your wedding is by using your favorite love poem on your wedding programs. This will entertain your guests as they wait for you to walk down the isle. Find something that the both of you love or if you are creative, come up with your own poem to reflect your love. You can easily have your favorite poem printed at the bottom of your program and you can even make your programs yourself on your computer.

Use Wedding Poetry in your Ceremony

Many couples love the idea of saying a few sentimental words to one another during the ceremony. The ceremony is a perfect time to share your love by reciting an enduring love poem. If you have trouble saying what you want to say, get online and research a wealth of poetry that you can use. You will find so many poems; you may have a hard time making a choice.

Use Wedding Poetry at your Reception

Another great idea is to use wedding poetry at your reception. Consider adding a few lines to your wedding party favors. For a completely different approach, try a humorous approach. You might give fortune cookies with love poems inside as a wedding favor. This is a fun way to get everybody in the mood to celebrate. Find funny poems about marriage and love and include those for a laugh or two. The reception is a time to lighten up and enjoy the evening.

Whatever you decide to stay or how you decide to read the poetry will add a personal touch to your wedding day. If you know what you want, you have the first part done and now you can decide how to convey the poetry in front of your guests.

Of course, there are many other inexpensive wedding favor ideas that you can use. Edible candies and cookies, custom-made love song CDs, disposable cameras, small photo albums, and personalized mugs and shot glasses top the list. You can even provide special wedding favors for the children that are attending your wedding such as coloring books and crayons. Whatever you decide to get out for wedding favors at your reception, make sure it is something that reflects your personality and is fun for your guests.


- Wade Robins

Most of us like to read and gain knowledge. A book can simply help once cause. It can be your best friend in your spare time, while traveling or may be a late night friend. Book can help you advance your knowledge about a subject and increase your general knowledge. Regular book reading can also help a person master his language and improve on communication skills.

If you are a bookworm and just can’t do without them stop buying new books. You can start a book sharing club with your friends and colleagues. Book sharing club can certainly help as it is not always possible to spend money on books. A book sharing club will certainly help you save your resources and money.

Today one can find different types of entertainment books online. These books are specially designed on the basis of different age groups. There are books available for children and for adults.

Children’s book store

Children usually like entertainment books. Today one can find wide varieties of children book in the market. You can help your child specialize his skills with the help of following books

• Painting book

• Decoration book

• Puzzle book

• General knowledge book

• Do it yourself book

Are you interested in writing books?

Reading and writing book are two different ends of the same world. But they both have one goal of imparting knowledge. People write as a hobby as well for business. If you are thinking of being a writer you could try out any of the following field.

• Write short stories or novels

• Writing non-fiction books

• Write poetries

• Write useful tips about different stuffs

• Write informative Articles

• Write newsletters

• Write inspirational stories

• Write autobiographies

• Write how to articles

You could also write various informative articles make them as booklets and give them for free or cash.

Isabella Rodrigues writes for decorating-books.info,

offering the latest information on decorating books, visit them today for more

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- Isabel