Components of the Ghazal

- Matla (the opening line) sets up a scheme rhyme (Qafia) and refrain (radif)

-All couplets have to end in the same refrain and have the same rhyme before it.

-All couplets other than the first and last one are autonomous and can be rearranged or taken out without impacting the poem.

-The end of a ghazal is marked by a signature couplet called a makhta, which invokes their name pseudonymously.

Each couplet in a ghazal is autonomous, meaning that they each have their own individual theme, and can be quoted by itself while still making sense.

In other words, although the couplets are part of an entire ghazal style poem, each couplet is complete in itself.