The Components of Ghazal

The main components of the poetry form known as Ghazal are:

• Malta (the opening line) sets up a scheme rhyme (Qafia) and refrain (Radif)
• All couplets have to end in the same refrain and have the same rhyme before it.
• All couplets other than the first and last one are autonomous and can be rearranged or taken out without impacting the poem.
• The end of a ghazal is marked by a signature couplet called a makhta, which invokes their name pseudonymously.
• The repeating refrain builds context and mood in the poem
• The form is non-narrative but can be tied back to a common theme, mood, or idea

Word key:

• Malta- the opening couplet
• Qafia- the rhyme scheme
• Radif- the refrain
• Makhta: the ending phrase