KARACHI: Some technical terms used in literary pieces quite frequently, for example, “modern sensibility,” remained unexplained or vague, said Ali Haider Malik at a meeting of the Fiction Group on Monday presided over by Ahmed Hamdani, author of several collections of literary essays. Among those present were Noorul Huda Syed, Dr Raza Kazmi, A. Khayyam, Saba Ikram and some others.

Introducing his subject Malik said the term, “modern sensibility,” a combination of two separate words, got currency in literature as the modern period came. At that time the idioms used under the influence of Progressive Writers Movement lost their appeal and were treated as “conventional.” It was a tremendous change, as the theory of social realism had now been replaced by the writer’s own inner feelings — his or her loneliness in this fearfully large world, the growing sense of alienation and an uncertain future.

Story writer Noorul Huda Syed said modern sensibility was a product of tremendous development and appeared in writings as the Pakistani society changed. In a given situation, our reaction was not the same as it used to be in the case of our fathers and forefathers. Thus modern sensibility found its place in literature, representing the feelings of the modern man: his thoughts and emotions, Syed explained.

A. Khayyam was of the view that the expression called modern sensibility found its place in literature after the young generation of writers got acquainted with Sartre, Kafka, Camus and other modern thinkers and their writings. Mohammed Raza Kazmi partly agreed with what had been said and expressed the opinion that the terms, “modern” and “sensibility,” could not be separated and should be taken as one. Even classical poets of Urdu had shown the sensibility of modernity.

Malik further explained that the modern sensibility in literature was a product of the modern age and of the major urban centres. In the poetry of Faiz it came with his experience gained during his long detention years in jail and his brush with urban lifestyle.

Hamdani explained the philosophy working behind the modern sensibility and quoted Hegel in this regard. Dostoevsky in literature might be taken as the forerunner of “modern sensibility,” he said.

The meeting concluded with a poetry-recital session. The only poet of the evening invited for the occasion was Husain Majrooh, a visitor from Lahore, who recited his verses till late in the night. —Hasan Abidi