TAUFIQ RAFAT AS EZRA POUND OF PAKISTAN: A COMPARATIVE STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF TAUFIQ RAFAT AND EZRA POUND'S POETRY

Abstract

The research provides a comparative stylistic analysis of five  poems by Ezra Pound and Taufiq Rafat to discuss the ways in which these two poets, given their different cultures and historical periods, share remarkable stylistic similarities in their work. Following the framework of Leech and Short (2007) for stylistic analysis, the research rigorously compares the lexical, grammatical, and figurative aspects in the works of both artists. The study demonstrates that Rafat, similar to Pound, uses imagistic clarity, cultural references, syntactic innovation, and metaphorical density to express a unique poetic vision. While Pound's modernism draws on classical allusions and Eurocentric conventions, Rafat redeems the English language for postcolonial use, infusing it with Pakistani cultural identity, rural landscapes, and vernacular locutions. The research validates the assertion that Rafat's innovative style and poetic awareness make him the "Ezra Pound of Pakistan" as a re-working force in Pakistani Anglophone poetry, not as an imitation but as one who brings change to the genre. This research adds to postcolonial literary theory through an analysis of how techniques in modernism can be translated into local tradition, bringing new perspectives to the globalized aspects of poetic style and cultural expression.