Jaun Elia is a very well-known poet of the modern era. Although he died in the last decade, his poetry still inspires the masses’ thoughts, especially the young community. Elia influenced the youth of Pakistani society as a whole. Jaun Elia is not only a poet, but he is also a philosopher, biographer, and scholar as well.
He belongs to a famous family as a brother of Rais Amrohi and Ayyad Muhammad Taqi. Both of them were well-known journalists and psychoanalysts. Urdu is his dominant work language, but he also has fluency in Arabic, English, Persian, Sanskrit, and Hebrew.
His primary source of such immense popularity is his knowledge of Sufism, Muslim spirituality, science, and Western literature.
His poetry deals with the mixture of all these dimensions mentioned above that makes him unique in his writing field. The reader of his poetry does not only know about the different perspectives of worldly affairs but also learns about the socio-religious patch-up that inspires the audience to think critically.
Early Life
Jaun Elia was born on December 14, 1931, in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is the youngest of his family. Due to being the youngest, he got more affection and love from his family. His family used to love him very much. The role of the family is also crucial in shaping his prominent personality. His father, Shafiq Hassan Elia, also worked in Art and literature. It also played a vital role in his advancement in the literal field. His father was an astrologer also.
When Elia was 17 to 18 years old, an independent state came into being in the name of a Muslim country. Jaun Elia had very communist views; he opposed the idea of a separate state but finally chose to join Pakistan and preferred Pakistan over India. Elia finally decided to come to Pakistan. He arrived in Pakistan in 1957 and chose Karachi as the residing city.
Jaun Elia, in the words of Pirzada Qasim
According to the words of poet Pirzada Qasim, the poetry of Jaun Elia is very heart-touching. His poetry is rooted in the classical field. He introduces new areas in poetry. He is unable to find his idealism, so he becomes frustrated. His poetry is unique from all other poets of Urdu.
Marriage
Jaun Elia is married to a well-known columnist Zahida Hina. His married life did not succeed for an extended period, so he separated from his wife later.
World View about Jaun Elia
The personality of Jaun Elia is very different from the other poets and writers because all of them are attached to particular religions, sects, and schools of thought. Still, Jaun Elia is not like all of them. His views were not religious and did not belong to a particular school of thought. He studied Deoband’s school of ideas for a specific period.
But yet, he is identified with relation to a particular school of thought. He introduced his reorganization as an agnostic or atheist. On the other hand, his political views also differed from most of the region. He favors communism, which he wishes to be practiced in society for the welfare of society as a whole.
Awards
The most notable award given to Jaun Elia is the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance, provided by the Government of Pakistan due to his undaunted efforts and services for Urdu Literature.
Jaun Elia Notable work/ Books Details
Poetry
Inshaiyee Aur Mazameen
- Farnood (published by Khalid Ansari)
Death
Jaun Elia passed away on November 8, 2002, in Karachi. At last, I hope you liked this post; you may also want to read Agha Shorash Kashmiri.