LINGUISTIC COMPARISON OF FEMALE FEMINIST PAKISTANI POETS: A STYLISTIC AND THEMATIC STUDY

Abstract

This research paper provides a comparative linguistic analysis of the works of prominent Pakistani feminist poets, including Fehmida Riaz, Kishwar Naheed, Ishrat Afreen, Sara Shagufta, Parvin Shakir, Zehra Nigah, and Yasmeen Hameed. The study examines how these poets utilized the Urdu language to challenge patriarchal structures, redefine feminine identity, and articulate resistance within a post-colonial South Asian context. By analyzing the shift from the traditional ghazal tropes to the more radical nazm (free verse), the paper highlights the evolution of feminist discourse in Urdu literature. Key linguistic markers such as body-centric metaphors, the subversion of the "beloved" archetype, and the reclamation of domestic space are explored. The findings suggest that while poets like Parvin Shakir utilized a softer, romanticized aesthetic to embed subtle critiques, others like Naheed and Riaz employed a visceral, confrontational lexicon to demand structural change. This comparison elucidates the diverse linguistic strategies used to construct a distinct female agency in Pakistani letters.