Discovering Poetry It is not always possible to discover poetry as an act of writing but whenever such a question: What is poetry? Arises, it reminds everyone that the time for discovering poetry has at last arrived and a new poet is just round the corner. Recently Salman Siddique has raised this question in the preface of his collection of poems: Lost in Meditation, which in Urdu reads: Dhyaan main Gum. His preface is a rational account of contemporary questioning. His poems in the collection are an illustration of his intellectual query. Salman Siddique has a good Urdu literature background. He is a young lecturer, and has been an active member of Lahore Halqa. He has written good essays on Urdu poetry and is perturbed over the state of poetry in the present age. His involvement in the theoretical questions about poetry has shown that he longs for a way out, and intends to discover poetry as a principle of creative fulfillment. All this is very welcome sign that there is a future for Urdu poetry, and young poets have a genuine craving of poetry in a growing Age of Prose. Prof. Gilani Kamran (July 13, 2000)