The recurring image of rain in the Jewel House Ghazal by Rafique Kathwari

In the Jewel House Ghazal by Rafique Kathwari, it uses a recurring image of rain as a connection between places, faith, and memory. This shows that grief is shown through many different things, no matter what it may be.

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The poem unfolds with the speaker’s mother, “In Kashmir, half asleep, Mother listens to the rain. In another country, I feel her presence in the rain.” (Kathwari lines 1 and 2) In this quote, the rain connects two different places: Kashmir and the speaker’s present country, showing that memory takes away from the thought of how far people are from each other, and just one memory can help to reconnect them. The speaker talks about feeling their mother’s presence in the rain, as that is a memory, and also shows that being in two different places can not separate them. The recurring image of rain would be shown as the radif as it occurs in the poem many times. Rafique,” I hear her call my name over the city din. The kettle exhales: my mother’s scents in the rain.” (Kathwari line 13–14) This quote shows that even with the noise of the “city din”, the speaker still imagines his mother’s voice. Also, with the kettle, which is an everyday object we may use in our lives, it shows the symbol of comfort and memory. Especially, the word “exhales” essentially shows it imitating the mother’s exhale. The recurring image of rain shows how long our memory can be, even just based on something as simple as rain, remembering someone who is far away or has passed.

Kathwari, Rafique. Jewel House Ghazal “Ghazal: To Be Teased into DisUnity.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. University of Michigan Press, 2002.