Persian Language and Literature

Publication Information

A Reflection on Khaghani Shervani's "Taq-e Kasra" Qasida

Sayyed Ahmad Parsa

The Lost and gone glory of the once magnificent Sasanid palace, Taq-e Kasra , has posed a grievous emotional impact on the many who have visited it for many years. Poets like Khayyam, Behtari, Khaghani, Sheikh Reza Talebani, and Ma'rouf Alrasafi, among others, have indicated their sad feelings of their visits to the ruined palace through their poems. From among all poetry on that theme, Khaghani's poem enjoys a higher prestige and reputation on such grounds as simplicity, and elegance in terms of both form and content. This article aims at scrutinizing the question whether Khaghani's poem, as assumed by a great number of contemporary researchers, was indeed written according to the motive of national patriotism on the side of the poet or rather stemmed from the poet's feeling of despair and fickleness regarding the unstable world. It is hoped that the findings of this study will shed more lights on the issue.

Why is Nima called "Ai Adamha" Poet ?

Taghi Pournamdarian

Often readers and even critics believe that the ideology and message of poems are more important than their structures. However, it's impossible to draw a distinction between ideology and structure as the structure of a poem is the primary element that influences the readership. Nima ,as the architect of the contemporary poetry relying on his own sharp and independent insights, revived the significance of the structure in Persian literature. Many enthusiastic readers and even critics of the field of cotemporary poetry have considered Nima as the poet of 'Ai Adamha'. This paper attempts to explore why Nima has been called Ai Adfamha poet. Obviously, the significance of the poem 'Ai Adamha' and similar poetic structures lies in their literary figures and expectations embedded in their novel forms than their frequent content and message. The repetition of the dominant element of Ai Adamha in the structure of the poem has, in addition to strengthening the skeleton of the poem, enhanced the syntactic integrity, musical system, coherence, and creative opening and ending of the poem. This article attempts to analyze 'Ai Adamha' from a formalistic perspective and in doing so it paves the way for the readership to delve into the less frequently uncovered senses of the contemporary poetry.

The Paradoxes of Sufism and its expositions

Mohammad Taghavi

In Sufi terminology, Shat'h is a series of aesthetic words expressed involuntarily by mystics during the mystical experiences. There have been multifarious interpretations and judgments concerning these paradoxes ranging from linguistic and epistemic interpretations to religious ones. The Sufis and their opponents have also voiced their diametrically opposing views on this issue. The present study addresses the traditional Sufi doctrines as well as what has been suggested about the various aspects of Shat'h including its ambiguity, its relationship to poetry, and its paradoxicality as argued by the contemporaries. The central issue of concern is whether these aesthetic words carry more emotional or epistemic content. Another impetus behind this research is to probe whether the linguistic expression of these words is indeed a representation of a special form of life. A deep understanding of these words requires a certain affinity and empathy with this form of life without which it's hardly possible to see the hidden meanings of the words. Thus, it is argued that the justification of Shat'h is more importand than its explanation.

A Critical study on the States, Works, and Speeches of Khaje Yousef-e Hamedani

Homeira Zomorrodi

Khaje Yousof-e Hamedani is one of the great mystics of the fifth century. He is, also , considered as one of the pioneering founders of the mystical path of Naghsh Bandiye who enjoys a good reputation for many blessings and unique mental relations. In this paper, the author, based on the early documents, presents detailed analysis of life, states , works, followers, and blessings of the great mystic.

Towards Arabic & Persian Romanticism : Resemblances between Appolo and Sokhan

Habibollah Abbasi

Appolo in Egept and Sokhan in Iran were two influential literary journals in Arabic and Persian Literature , respectively. They are placed between classic and romantic poetry. This article aims at introducing these two journals and uncovers some resemblances between them. Appolo was the official organ of "Appolo Society" in Cairo and was edited by the great romantic poet, Abu Shady and Sokhan was published under the editorship of Parviz-e Natel-e Khanlary by some college graduates. The present author's account of the resemblances between these two journals zones at introducing a fresh atmosphere in poetry especially romanticism, improving allegoric and dramatic poetry, establishing modern aesthetics, adopting a temperate approach to European literature, and taking a nonpolitical position. Finally, the paper briefs many letter men and poets in Arabic and Persian literature.

Shahname and Bragging in the Battle Field

Gholam Ali Fallah

This article revisits 'brag' and 'bragging' in the battle field in Ferdowsi's Shahname. To this end, in the first section, the denotative and idiomatic meanings of brag and bragging are examined and their historical background in ancient Greek, Arab and Iranian as well as the literature of the fourth and fifth centuries are briefly illustrated. The second section aims at exploring Ferdowsi's artistry in dealing with the techniques of bragging in the battle field by Shahname's champions and presents an evaluation of functions and the rhetorical values of bragging as utilized in ferdowsi's story-telling discourse.

"Nation" in Constitution Age Poetry

Nasser Nikoobakht

A subject of great concern in Persian poetry of the Constitution Age is the concept of 'Nation'. The correct understanding and interpretation of the message of this age, to a great extent , depends on an understanding of its position. There is a sharp difference between what the poets of this age stated and those of their predecessors. In this article, the concept of 'Nation' is examined under the two parts of Pre-Islam and Post-Islam. The Pre-Islam Iranian were well familiar with such concepts as nation, and race. However, quickly after their acceptance of Islam, their attitudes towards the concept of 'Nation' changed drastically. In general, the major meanings of 'Nation' comprise Islam world, Restoration world, place of birth, and nation world. The results of this study reveal that the conceptualization of 'Nation' in the Constitution Age Poetry must be different, even though some traditional senses of the concept prevail. 'Nation' in its new sense subsumes elements like a shift in the role of the government and people, racial and national dependencies, and Iranian identity with all its features.