Cosmopolitanism in Agha Shahid Ali’s "Leaving Your City"

Joshna Karki
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor

Agha Shahid Ali’s poem, "Leaving Your City" speaks of movement and the poignant calling of home. Ali is seen expressing his story of change, of finding new footing, and of holding onto a new dream from a restless country. He finds himself amidst intricacies of new norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs, understanding that change and adaptability to transformation does not mean the fragmentation of identity. One can belong to more than a single place at a time, reinstating the idea of cosmopolitanism: all human beings are, or could or should be, members of a single community. The poem preserves the cosmopolitan sentiment and is a masterpiece in taking the readers to the flight back and forth in the geographical places that are part of Ali’s shared roots. Ali’s cosmopolitan roots embrace him as a Muslim from the Indian subcontinent writing in English, three world cultures shaping his idea of belongingness and his work.

 

Keywords: Cosmopolitanism, Agha Shahid Ali, Half-Inch Himalayas, Home, Nostalgia, Identity, Transformation

Topic(s):English

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA