Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish :Aatish belonged to Faizabad. Due to the death of his father in childhood, he was denied the opportunity of regular instruction in a school. But he had a deep, instinctive taste for poetry which gave him easy access to the court of Nawab Mohammed Taqi Khan Taraqqi, who, in turn, took him to Lucknow. At Lucknow he sought poetic instruction from Mushafi, an important poet of the Lucknow school. On the strength of his poetic abilities and performar ice, Aatish soon established his reputation in literary circles, and came to be regarded a top-ranking poet of Lucknow, and a worthy rival of Nasikh. Aatish was a contented, self- respecting man who led a simple and stringent life, and never stooped before nobility to gain personal favours. This independence of spirit and ascetic- like unconcern with worldly comforts, is also reflected in his poetry. Although Aatish belongs unmistakably to the Lucknow school, his poetry is generally free from the faults of affectation, sensuality, and linguistic jugglery, associated with this school. He is generally bracketed with Nasikh for purposes of poetic comparison. Both of them were good friends and poetic rivals, both of them were representatives of the Luckriow school, and both of them were acknowledged masters in the field. Again, both of them respected each other, so much so, that after the death of Nasikh, Aatish stopped writing poetry. However, when we are asked to make the choice, we must award the palm to Aatish. Some critics rank him next to Mir and Ghalib. His ghazals are built round the traditional themes of love and mysticism, and his sentiment is noble and refined. He writes familiar, speech-like language, and his words are carefully osen and artistically arranged. He also makes an apt use of he contemporary idiom, so that some of hi lines, like the lowing, have become popular quotations