Anatomy of a Ghazal: Exploring Its Structure, Rhyme, and Mood

The ghazal is one of the most beloved and enduring poetic forms in Persian literature—a compact, lyrical form that has enchanted readers and listeners for centuries. Woven from sorrow and longing, love and mysticism, it’s a poetic vessel that captures the human soul in just a few short verses.

Though its themes are deeply emotional and often spiritual, the ghazal is also a carefully crafted art form, with strict rules governing its structure. In this post, we explore the anatomy of a ghazal: its architecture, its rhyme and rhythm, and the moods it so effortlessly evokes.

What Is a Ghazal?

A ghazal (غزل) is a collection of couplets (usually between 5 and 15), each one a self-contained poetic statement. Despite this independence, they’re connected through a shared rhyme scheme and a recurring refrain—what we might think of as the poem’s heartbeat.

But more than form, a ghazal is a feeling. It is the voice of longing, the sigh of separation, the fire of love—whether directed at a human beloved or the Divine.

Structure: Rhyme, Refrain, and Radif

At first glance, a ghazal may seem like a series of disconnected lines, but it follows a very specific pattern:

1. Matla (Opening Couplet)
   The first couplet sets the rhyme and refrain pattern for the whole poem. Both lines rhyme, ending in the qafiyah (rhyme) followed by the radif (refrain).
   Example:
   If the radif is “without you,” all second lines of the following couplets must end with that phrase.

2. Beits (Couplets)
   Every couplet after …