JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITIES
Year:2008 | Volume:41 | Issue:1 (160)|Papers Count:19

Researches about ‘marriage’ in Iranian epic literature have always been limited to Shahnarneh. In most of these researches, some rare but important motifs have been ignored and not been argued at all. In addition to Shahnameh, the writer of this article has studied heroic poems and some prose texts. He has chosen eight samples of the marriage custom in these texts and has analyzed them.

Social changes and considering people's needs are seen as the most important issues in the changes of Persian poetry in Constitutional Era. The writers of this article have considered the views of Western and Iranian critics to study the function of the addressee in the changes of Persian poetry in Constitutional Era. The use of such a study is that the writers have found and analyzed many social and historical points in the poetry of this Era. Studying the poetry of great poets of this period, the findings say that the function of the addressee in the changes of Persian poetry in Constitutional Era has been a big issue in creating such poetry.

Sati is a Sanskrit word which means chaste and continent. It also refers to a tradition and the ceremony in which a widow bums herself because of her husband's death. The history of this Indian tradition refers back to 1000 to 500 years B.C. and was prohibited in 1828. Persian poets, particularly those who were living in India, have benefited this Hindu tradition in their poetry and created deeply emotional poems. The writer of the article has studied Sati and its reflection in Persian literature.

Persian poetry has always confronted great changes in different periods of classicism, modernism and postmodernism. These changes have generally occurred in two areas of form and content. The writers of the present article have tried to settle the issue that if they can find a philosophical basis for the in Persian poetry changes apart from historical events and geographical areas or no.

New Criticism focuses on rigorous analysis of poetry and literature, irrespective of peripheral issues. Its fundamental tenet is the autonomy of literary texts. Therefore, New Criticism shuns dealing with such peripheral issues as authors' biography, social, political and historical events; since this approach considers all these issues as non-artistic. In principle, the followers of New Criticism subscribe to closed analysis; because, only semantic and aesthetic dimensions are important for them and texts are seen more like closed and insulated systems. The writer of this article introduces systematic theories and their characteristics. Literary texts are seen as a system, based on the systematic models. The writer has also attempted to examine the 'analytic and mechanistic' dimensions of New Criticism, as well as the interaction of sub-systems with meta-systems in literary texts.

A considerable part of Persian classical literature is devoted to didactic literature. Mysticism has also been very important in Persian didactic literature and Sufi tales are clear example of that; since all these tales have been used for the purpose of teaching. Attar, one of the greatest Persian poets, has paid lots of attention to these tales and has benefited them a lot in his works. Attar's knowledge about these tales is actually representing his mystic method. The writers of this article have studied the structural and narrative features of Sufi tales in Attar's works and his ways of telling the stories.

Fosus-al-Hekamis one of the most reliable mystical sources written by the well-known Mohyeddin Ibn-al-Arabi. The purpose of the present article is to study different descriptions of Fosus-al-Hekamand presenting the meaning of Hazaraat-e-Khams (five attendances), its various parts, the opinions of different commentators and the similarities and differences in their comments. The author of the article has studied more than thirty different descriptions of Fosus-al-Hekam. Since Hazaraat-e-Khamsis nothing but a term, but, different researchers and commentators have had different opinions or have presented innovations. Hazaraat-e-Khamsis the true manifestations of Allah; some considered it as five, some others six and different commentators named them differently. The writer of the article has also presented a table for an easier access to this information.

Social capital is a systematic set of organized links between the members of a group or a society which is based on specific norms and rules and results into obtaining individual and collective purposes. The category of social capital is different with from current concept of capital in sociology, law and economy. Features like cooperation, knowledge, participating in public affairs, tolerating others and group works are a kind of investment that has no individual owner and has its roots in the past. The writer of this article has studied Tarikh-e-Beihaghi written by Khaje Abolfazl Mohammad-ibn-e- Dabir known as Beihaghi; and has analyzed the different forms of social capital. He has also tried to reconstruct the signs of decline and rise of that period.

Toufigh Al-Hakim is a contemporary Egyptian playwright who is known as the father of Arabic playwriting. He felt the need to search about the human character and its dimensions, so, this issue, has been the major them in his plays. Through benefiting from humanistic theories in some Western literary and philosophical schools, he has combined them with religious issues and Eastern mythology to introduce an accepted model of human being to his readers. The writers of this article have studied humanistic themes in the plays of Toufigh Al-Hakim and have introduced those aspects of human dimensions, he has used in his playwritings.

Mystical language with its different kinds is the language that Gnostics express their experiences, affections, eminent and deep mystical senses. The purpose of this article is to study the features of Shams Tabrizi's mythical language. This study will make the reader more familiar with the language of Masnavi and will lead him to a better understanding of Masnavi instructions. It will also pave the way for solving the mysteries and problems in understanding Mawlana's Masnaui. The most important features of Mawlana's language are its clarity and simplicity. His language is narrative, colloquial and taken from the common language of ordinary people. All these features can also be found in the language of other mystics but something that distinguishes Mawlana's language from their language is the reflection of his critical insight in his language.

Mawlana is one of those great Persian poets who have expressed the mystic ideas and philosophy in the form of poetry. His philosophy has also attracted and influenced many thinkers and intellectuals of the world. Mawlana has never been in the subcontinent, but people of this area have been very familiar with him and he has acted as their master and guide. The writer of this article has studied the influence of Mawlana in this area and introduces some great people who have been under his influence.

In literal, geographical and historical books, one can find the names of old and historical places. Writers, editors and translators sometimes make mistakes in recording the names of these places because of the destruction and ruining these places and/or changes in their names. The writers of this paper have explained and suggest some corrections related to historical and old places of Balkh region. To do this, the writers have studied historical texts such as: Safamame if Naser Khosrow, Ahsan-o-Taghaasim, Nozhat-Ol-Gholoub, Ghaanune-Masoudi. Some of these names are: Sadral sedarra, Kalan/Samangan, Talghan/Taighan, Madar /Maadar, Siyahgerdl Shawgerd.

In the mythology of nations, there has been a myth known as "the numen of poetry and art" and different cultures have samples for that. This numen has been the connecting point between human being and God (or divinities) that inspires poetry to the poet in an unconscious manner. The writer of this article has studied Shahnameh and Pahlavi literature to search for this myth in the culture of ancient Iran. The findings of the paper show that the inspiration function comes from Soroush and Nariosang and Soroushis only given the function of poetic inspiration in Ancient Iran.

As the most important method of religious and ritual theater, Ta'ziye has many capabilities in Iran which can be used in different forms of modern visualization. The only element which has been studied in this kind of theater has been distancing in performance. Through studying the existent versions of Ta'ziye, one can find that there are other elements that have not been studied yet. The relationship between Ta'ziye and religious theater in their general form, and also the major themes of Ta'ziye, helps us to identify these capabilities better and better. Meanwhile, music as an expressive and performing element provides a basis that can be used in finding a new manner of expression in visual dramatic works (music videos for example). Studying elements such as character replacement, transformation of time and place, function of music and the ways of affecting on audience, shows that Ta'ziye has special capabilities in visualization. The writers of this article have introduced a sample of Ta'ziye and studied two versions of it to present these capabilities.

In the mind, language and literature of all people, there are some significant numbers like three, thirty, six, nine, twelve, forty, one hundred and one thousand that are called numbers of perfection. Sometimes one digit is added to these numbers (and the result is seven, thirteen, ten and one thousand and one) or is subtracted from them (and the result is five, ninety nine or eleven) and the outcome becomes very significant. It seems that these cases have mythological base. Referring to the myth of creation, the writer of the article believes that the number of perfection is another form of death and termination that causes recreation. The continuation of life is shown by subtracting from the numbers of perfection, which means, the cycle has not terminated yet, and even if a cycle is terminated, another is being created. Recreation is shown through adding a figure to the numbers of perfection. The significance of all these numbers has not been in presenting the myth but in defeating the time.

Kholaasat-ol-Managheb, is the summary of Manaagheb-al-Aarefin written by Ahmad-Ibne- Mahmood known as Mo'een-al-Fogharaa. The value of this text lies in the parts that have been added to it from Mawlana's speeches. It also contains some interesting tales. The writer of this article first introduces the text and its background; he then introduces Ahmad-Ibne- Mahmood and his era. In this paper, the writer, for the first time has corrected the section that Mo'een-al-Fogharaa has added to the text from Mawlana.