Lexical Memory and Morphological Structuring of Place in Shadab Zeest Hashmi’s Passing through Peshawar: A Distributed Morphology Analysis

Abstract

This study explores Shadab Zeest Hashmi’s poem Passing through Peshawar (2019) using Distributed Morphology (DM). The poem creates a vivid picture of memory, place, and identity through word structures, including compounds (e.g., telephone wires, Tonga-horses), derivational forms (e.g., belligerent, timeless), and root-based words. Drawing on the work of Halle and Marantz (1993) and Embick and Noyer (2007), the study shows that the poem’s words are built in the syntax and realized later, shaping meaning and cultural memory. The analysis reveals that the poem’s morphology helps express nostalgia, belonging, and the passage of time, highlighting how word structure contributes to layered identity and connection to place.

Keywords: Distributed Morphology, compounding, derivation, nostalgia, memory, spatial identity, Pakistani poetry.