Poetry and Architecture: A Shared Rhythm

A poem is like architecture—it makes one swing between conscious and unconscious experiences.

If I explicitly portray a moment that arose from an unconscious act, I am crafting poetry—because I am consciously preserving a memory of something that happened unconsciously.

An unconscious act occurs at a higher speed, fleeting and intangible. But in poetry, the speed of that experience is slowed down, allowing one to reflect on it. This contradiction—between the ephemeral nature of the unconscious and the deliberate pacing of poetry—mirrors the tension in architecture, where form and space create both movement and stillness.

Thus, the principles of writing poetry align with the art of architecture.

Multiplicity in Simplicity

It is through the selection of fewer words that poetry generates a higher realm—a multiplicity of spaces where one can choose to dwell as per their own perspective.

A poem can take two forms:

1. Nazm – A thematic poetry that provides a heightened experience of a specific life situation.
2. Ghazal – A collection of narratives with a common motive, much like a Qawwali, where different raagas harmonize within a shared essence.

For example, a film like Crash brings together multiple life stories, yet they are interconnected by a common underlying theme.

Poetry as an Architectural Metaphor

Poetry metaphorizes the environment—it makes one thing appear to imitate another, allowing the reader to recognize life within it.

Just as architecture sculpts space and emotion, poetry sculpts time and memory—both creating an experience that lingers beyond the moment of encounter.