One of the safest ways to enter into the core of Ghalib's poetry is a careful study of his imagery, of the symbols he uses, the way he changes them compared to the classical Persian and Urdu poets, and thus by careful comparison, to understand his special features and his greatness. Such a method will help us also as far as possible, to answer the question, how far oriental poetry in general, and Ghalib's poetry in particular, reflects his very personal experiences, and in how far it is just an elaboration of inherited forms and images which should not be taken into consideration when discussing his personal viewpoints or his letters though sometimes playfully expressing a passing mood inform us rather correctly about his thoughts and feelings. It seems that from a verbal analysis of some of his poems, we may be able to catch at least a glimpse of the way how his creative imagination worked, and how the main strands of his thought are woven together into a highly artistic fabric.
