Journal of Discourse Review
Open Access Humanitarian scholarship
7 days
Time to first decision
Open Access Humanitarian scholarship
Time to first decision
Volume: 1 Issue: 1
1 & 2 Department of Humanities and Sciences, Malla Reddy College of Engineering & Technology, India.
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9714-0627
Year: 2025, Page: 119-128,
Received: Feb. 25, 2025 Accepted: March 23, 2025 Published: April 22, 2025
The literary genre of coming-of-age has a long history and is primarily focused on the intricacies of identity formation, personal growth, and self-discovery. The current study explores, within this framework, the complex relationship between faith and identity in influencing life decisions as it is portrayed in Kazim Ali's poetry. Three key pieces—"Speech," "Autobiography," and "Home"—are highlighted in particular because they act as nucleuses for analysing the poet's exploration of existential desire, cultural estrangement, and spiritual reflectivity. The central research question enquires: In what ways do faith and identity shape the expression of individual and communal belonging in Kazim Ali's poetry? By using a qualitative research approach and careful textual analysis guided by the concepts of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study enables a thorough investigation of the linguistic, cultural, and ideological structures present in Ali's poetry. According to the study, Ali views identity construction as a dynamic and ever-changing process that is influenced by the conflicts between personal memory, diasporic experience, and religious conviction. His poetry emphasises the discord between inherited traditions and personal initiative, demonstrating how religion can both stabilise and complicate one's identity. The findings highlight Ali's skilful employment of religious symbolism, multilingual expression, and philosophical exploration to convey the scrappy yet resilient voice of the diasporic individual. Utilising these poetic techniques, Ali examines and redefines the parameters of belonging, proposing that identity is not a static essence but rather a dynamic negotiation of location, language, and belief. This study ultimately enhances discussions regarding the intersections of spirituality, identity politics, and literary expression within contemporary diasporic literature.
Keywords: Faith, Identity, Coming-of-Age, Belonging, Critical Discourse Analysis
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© 2025 JDR Academic Trust. This is an open-access publication distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hossain. M. N. & Islam, J. (2025). Negotiating Faith and Identity in Kazim Ali’s Select Poetry: A Coming-of-Age Perspective. Journal of Discourse Review, 1(1), 119-128.