DefinePK

Abstract

This paper explores the Hegelian concepts of alienation, self-consciousness, and the dialectical progression of history through a critical analysis of Abdul Ghani Khan’s Pashto poem, Reedi Gul. For Hegel, art and literature are products of the alienation process through which subjugated, non-thinking beings (slaves) externalise the true spirit (Geist), ultimately progressing towards self-consciousness. Drawing on this framework, the study situates Khan’s poetic journey as a dialectical movement from not-knowing to knowing, aligning with Hegel’s vision of the evolution of consciousness. The poem reflects a shift from primal freedom to historical enslavement through morality and materiality, culminating in a romantic unity between the finite and the infinite. A tabulated model mapping thesis, antithesis, and synthesis was employed to structure the analysis. The findings reveal that Khan, like Hegel, embodies a “rational mystique”, achieving self-realisation through the alienated symbol of the poppy flower.