In Ghazal Games, Iranian-American poet Roger Sedarat approaches the ghazal, an ancient Arabic form with its roots in Persia and dominance in Urdu-speaking countries, not with the usual solemnity but as a site of playfulness and invention. Gone is the nostalgic melancholy of Agha Shahid Ali, or the usual moroseness of the Urdu masters, and we aren’t quite yet in the silted, sublime world of Canadian ghazal-poets like John Thompson or Phyllis Webb. What we have is a shape-shifting voice that mocks, mourns, and at times, memes. Sedarat remixes the form with pop culture, political satire, and personal myth, making the ghazal elastic, even volatile – all the while employing (and breaking!) the traditional elements like radif, qafiya, beher, etc. in his many couplets.
Let’s take a look at the very first couplet from “Ghazal Game #1.”
Think of the greatest love you’ve ever had ( )
Write his/her name in the space provided __________.
Or this couplet in “Ghazal Game #7: Tic Tac Toe,” where Sedarat writes:
On The Simpsons, a nuclear fish swims
In Springfield with eyes like this: OOO.
Sedarat skillfully blends pop cultural references with traditional forms, infusing humor and contemporary relevance, making it playful, reaching for a wider audience, not just a few academic ghazal-heads. Throughout the book, he moves between different registers, various North American symbols as well as references to his hometown to Urdu poets.
Another example from the same ghazal #7 showcases his inventive use of language and form:
God’s tit for tat. For every X an O.
His grace adds up to nothing: 0+0+0.
More wordplay and mathematical symbolism to explore themes of divinity and futility, demonstrating his innovative approach to the ghazal, and thereby, the liveliness of his couplets.
But Sedarat is not simply taking ghazal as a pure form of word game, he is well aware that things don’t exist in vacuum, that there’s a tradition behind every form.
In “Ghazal Game #4: Matching,” Sedarat writes.
3. _________ “Old Masters, for your gift of the ghazal
I remain unable to repay you.”
Also, “Sonnet Ghazal,” opens with the couplet:
Hafez, the baker, could see what I mean;
If she were a spice, she’d be cinnamon.
This shows Sedarat’s acknowledgment of the traditional roots of the ghazal, even as he experiments with its boundaries, of being unable to repay the debt of the form, or poking fun at Hafez, even going to the extent of mentioning “I know; this ghazal objectifies her / Ignoring feminist criticism.”
What sets Sedarat apart from contemporary Canadian or American ghazal-poets is his refusal to treat the form with pure reverence. The ghazal becomes a glitch—cultural, linguistic, poetic. He is not simply honoring tradition, recycling the usual b/Beloved symbolism, the poet as a wine drinker in a tavern, the poet in the garden talking to gods, etc. but rather he’s stress-testing it, seeing how far he can go with pushing the boundaries.
These are ghazals that smirk, sting. Ghazal Games isn’t just another ghazal book—it’s a playful dare, a welcome venture, fresh for anyone picking up the book and scanning through these charming and often humorous couplets. Highly recommended!
— Vivek Sharma writes poetry and fiction. His work appears in The Malahat Review, EPOCH Magazine, The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, Arc Poetry Magazine, and South Dakota Review. His chapbook of poems, “Between Two Valleys, A Lake,” will be out from Anstruther Press in Fall 2025. Find him occasionally scrolling on BlueSky @SharmaviVivek.
You can read Vivek Sharma’s poetry in Issue 305 (Autumn 2025). Order the issue now:
Order Issue 305 - Autumn 2025 (Canadian Addresses)
Order Issue 305 - Autumn 2025 (International Addresses)
