My travel to learn Poetic English

29^th December 2011

My travel to learn Poetic English (Hisam Memon)

Gone are the days, I kept keen interest to learn poetic English, I was astonished, how the poets used "doth", “shalt”, “Thou”, “sath", "maketh", “goest”, “dost” like words, i was searching for a teacher, who might have knowledge about certain words of English poetry. I was thinking, grammar was easier than the words, I have given above. That is why; I was following to know about strange words used by the poets. I heard the name of Mr. Azharuddin Shah; I came to know by the people that he was the clever man and very much proficient in English Language.

I went to him; he used to sit at the hujra of Mehar Shah Dargha (shrine of Pir Mehar Shah Basha at Shikarpur) and taught English too many students. I put my request and asked him to teach English of the certain type. He agreed but I could not give him fees, because he wanted to get 1500 of the course or more (it was in thousands).

It was very huge money for me, I could not afford being the son of poor father, who was trailer master and used to stitch at Staurt Ganj at the mouth of Dhakka Bazar (covered market).

I requested my teacher to lessen the fees, but he turned deaf ear to my request and I came back to my home very disappointedly and I determined to learn the language and the secret of the language myself.

I think, it was 1993 and 2012 will be started after two days. Well, 18 years are passed, how time lapsed, it is like magic, and life is really very magical in itself. I love my searching for the teacher, I still have not found the teacher as I have dreamt of for long, I think, the books are the best teachers and the time is the teacher of the books.

I wanted this little experience and curiosity to share with my friends that sometimes I became thoroughly disappointed, while I knew a word, letter or sentence, I rejoiced. Pain and pleasure are the two sides of one coin and the whole life is stretched for learning, we should not stop to learn, all things be carried on till we find our destination, but the knowledge has no limits, just keep the going on and you will be enriched by the travel of knowledge and this travel will make your life brighter, peaceful and great.

I am sharing one old word with my friends, "Durst", it sounds like the word “durst” in Urdu, but it is not Urdu, it is an old English Word (OEW), which means to dare (to be courageous, to do something or to have the necessary boldness or courage for something).

I was really very much curious to learn about such words, while I was in first year in C&S College Shikarpur.