Khondakar Ashraf Hossain

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain Poems

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain Biography

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain (Bengali: খোন্দকার আশরাফ হোসেন) is one of the leading poets, essayist and translator of Bangladesh. Born in Jamalpur, Bangladesh, in 1950, he was educated at University of Dhaka and Leeds University. Currently he is a professor of English at University of Dhaka. He published a number of collections of poetry and of essays in Bengali and English. Dr Hossain translates from Bangla to English and from German and English to Bangla. Dr. Hossain edits and publishes a literary magazine: Ekobingsha which was embarked by Hossain himself in 1985 with its main focus on the new poetry of Bangladesh. Critical Reception Khondakar Ashraf Hossain wrote a wide variety of poems in lucid language and with innovative and suggestive imagery. Expressions and eloquence in his poetry came out his successful, spontaneous incorporation of national and world heritage and mythology into his personal experience and feelings. Though he began to write when postmodernism was blooming fast in the west, he denies to identify himself as an avowed post-modernist. In his book On Behula's Raft's launch ceremony, he said about himself that "my soul is nourished by the alluvial soil and the moistures of riverine Bangladesh, which is my Behula". Fakrul Alam considered his poems "humorous and witty" in some cases. Syed Manzoorul Islam opined that Ashraf at his initial stage was a romantic poet, now he is a realistic poet as he is writing in a very self-conscious way. Hossain's love poems are characterised by stark realism rather than by romantic euphoria. Anisuzzaman deemed his poetry as the socio-political representation of Bangladesh. He explored not only contemporary social and political condition of his country but also "the grounds of existential philosophy in conceiving human life as fragile yet undying, as self-destructive yet eternal". His keen observation of the human condition led him to be a serious poet.)

The Best Poem Of Khondakar Ashraf Hossain

Trivia

Sorrow is a sitar that cuts the maestro's finger

just to test the sharpness of its strings;

Happiness is a lndlord, who has no room to let,

yet does not take down the TO LET sign;

Adversity is that big arch thru which you can see

the real face of your friend.

And love is like a pillow that has to be sun-dried

now and then, or else it stinks;

While separation is a left-behind suitcase - its key

has gone with the owner, and there's no spare.

Your wife is your old bank account: it's troublesome

these days to withdraw money, because signatures don't match.

And your children?

Your children are the mileposts to your grave-

Footprints of the traveller snatched away by a tiger.

(from On Behula's Raft)

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