Matla — the opening sheʿr
Matla ghazal ka pehla sheʿr hai. Us ke dononmisre hum-qafia hote hain — yaani donon qafia (aur agar ho to radif) par khatm hote hain. Yeh ek saakhtiyaati wa'da hai: shayar matle ke zariye poori ghazal ka qafia o radif ka ailaan karta hai. Baad ke har sheʿr ka misra-e-saani usi paabandi ke tehat hoga jo matle ne qaayam ki hai.
Maqta — the closing sheʿr
Maqta ghazal ka aakhri sheʿr hai. Rivaayat hai ke maqte mein shayar apna takhallus laata hai (dekhiye agli fasal). Yaani shayar apne hi kalaam ke andar apna dastkhat sabt karta hai, kabhi shoki se, kabhi apne aap par hanste hue.
Takhallus — the pen-name
Takhallus shayar ka qalmi naam hai — ek lafz, aksar ba-maani ya alaamati, jise shayar apni ibtidaai umar mein apnaata hai aur tamaam umar usi se pehchaana jaata hai. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib ke naam se mashhoor hue — yaani ghalib aane waala. Allama Muhammad Iqbal ne Iqbal chuna — yaani sa'aadat, khush-bakhti. Mir Taqi Mir kehlaaye. Faiz Ahmed Khan Faiz se mashhoor hue — yaani karam, navaazish.
Takhallus maqte mein aksar goya kisi teesre ke baare mein istemaal hota hai: “Ghalib! tumhaare dil mein kya tha?” Yaani shayar apne hi naam se apne baare mein baat karta hai. Yeh andaaz ba-yak waqt qareeb bhi hai aur pur-mazaah bhi.