Journal of the Stylistic of Persian Poem and Prose
Year:2012 | Volume:4 | Issue:4 (14)|Papers Count:23

Couplet is one of poetic frames by which many literary masterpieces from ancient times were represented in such poetic frame and proportional to each era, many concepts and themes, including epic, mystic and lyric and often within the format of novels and short stories have been expressed cryptically and allegorically. Until age of Constitutional Revolution, couplet frame was remarkably presented in the field of Persian poetry and verse. However, after Constitutional Revolution and coincided with prevalence of Free Verse, it was forgotten while after the victory of Islamic Revolution and outbreak of Iraqi Imposed War it was born again and revived for the second time. It seems that re-exposure of this frame in the field of Persian verse has been followed by essential changes and innovations in form and structure rather than thematic and content differences from the previous careers where the foremost changes and innovations of such kinds may be evident in meter, rhyme and refrain. The present article is intended to examine the most important changes and structural innovations within couplet frame than the literary former careers along versified couplets in literature of Islamic Revolution and works of poet at this period and reveal the frequency of these neologies and changes.

Speaker or narrator’s character, followed by audience in Molana’s sonnets essentially differs from familiar type of lover and the beloved in classic sonnets and it is deemed as neologism in conventional and traditional form of sonnet. Comprehending of sonnet depends on identifying the character of verse- narrator and determining his/ her point of view and position so it is not possible irrespective of paying attention to Gnostic concepts and terms and Islamic theosophy. Identifying four key characters from viewpoint of Islamic conduct, namely spiritual master, beloved, mystic wayfarer and lover, move reader close to conceptual horizon of poet’s utterances. Sometimes, the ambiguity of Molana’s sonnet is due to various and multiple nature of narrator’s character, his/ her viewpoint, presence of several audiences in a single sonnet, and mingling of sonnet versification and instruction in poet’s tongue. The present research tries to achieve form and structure of Molana’s sonnet by analysis and identifying characters in one thousand sonnets from Shams Tabrizi’s poetic collection.

By review on rhyme knowledge and based on those subjects which are incorporate in rhetoric and verse critique books, one may already find the importance of rhyme and its effectiveness in Persian poetry. Despite of all advantages of rhyme, sometimes there are some limitations in verse and thus poets prefer to sacrifice the meaning for the sake of rhyme. In fact, such passive reaction against restrictions is due to poet’s weakness so that artist poet never sacrifices pure concepts for lexicon and rhyme in such pitfalls. Amidst, Molavi is the greatest poet that such barriers and limitations never compel him to sacrifice meaning for the sake of lexicon and rhyme; but inversely, subconscious intuitive ingenuity of his mind along with bold iconoclasm may raise tumult in rhymed lexicons, which will make any reader or hearer astonished. Author of the present article intends to study on scheme of Molavi’s artistic innovations and normphobic strategies as the place of rhyme in the honored book of Spiritual Couplets.

Theophanic Locutionsare bequest of Persian mystic literature, which was presented in Sufis’ voting court since third hegira century (9th AD cen.) by execution (via gallows) of Hossein Ibn Mansoor Hallaj (309h./930AD) and prohibition of expressing such utterances there while rejection or acceptance of them by Sufi sect signified symbolically their epistemological fundamentals. Despite of multiplicity of implications and concepts, theophanic locutions may be divided into certain thematic categories out of the foremost ones are various religious claims, sarcasm and profanity. From style and structure viewpoint, they might be categorized in some paradigms. Similarly, in terms of lingual form and images, such studies may contribute us in further identifying of theophanic locutions.

One of the well-known poets at the late tenth and the early eleventh centuries (17 and 18th AD centuries) is Abusaeed Kamaleddin Sahabi Najafi Estar Abadi, who is considered as one of spiritual masters and leading mystical figures rather than his religious lofty position. He is mainly famous because of versification of some quatrains, which included mystical, moral, philosophical and religious thoughts. His quatrains draw more attention than those governing thoughts over them and they are not so significant from aesthetic perspective and form intricacies. At this article, we have dealt with stylistics in his quatrains.

Shahin Torah Anthology is poetical collectanea of Old Testament (Torah) that was written in Persian language and via Hebrew script by an anonymous poet under title or poetic penname of “Shahin ” in 728 (1359 AD) and he versified these poems in Melodic Catalectic Hexameter and with the opening verse as followsIn the name of who erected this universeHe led the astray to himself”This book was published in 1282 (1903 Ad) by Simon (Shimon) Hakham for the first time with the same Hebrew script and eventually despite of scarcity of the existing versions, Manoochehr Khooban (Moshe son of Shaaban) turned it from Hebrew script into Persian and then it was published in 1378 (1999) in US.This work includes Pentateuch of Old Testament where it starts by praying of Almighty God like other Persian poetic books and it is ended by this verse from its poet’s tongue that:“Thousands of hail by the Lord All GlorifiedTo wraith of Moses, son of Imran”Since this work is included in the field of Persian poetry and literature of this land and study on this work may be deemed as another resolution for researches about Persian poetry in seventh and eight centuries (14 and 15th AD centuries) so the present article is intended to answer to this question that what stylistic values and characteristics of this work are and where literary position of the given work in the field of Persian literature, rather than further introducing this work.

According to Intertextuality Approach, there is a clear or hidden relationship among the existing various texts in literary genres of a culture all the times; however, authors’ techniques are not identical in display of such effect and the writer or poet often seems his/ her contemporaries in the competition field where it requires making efforts and tries for innovation. In hitoripgraphical tradition of classic literature, ranging from Beyhaghi’s History to writing of the Dorreh-E-Nadereh book, such effect and affection are obviously visible. Relationship among Joveini’s Jahangosha History- which could be deemed as the climax of Persian professional historiography since it thoroughly, includes style of Beyhaghi and Nasrollah Monshi - and Vassaf-Al-Hazreh Shirazi History book is something like this. Study and comparison among these two historical- literary texts illustrate authors’ homogeneous attention toward the text at that time and literature streams in the given career while expressing coincident and coexistent link among the literary texts. The present research deems it necessary to conduct descriptive- analytic study based on the given Intertextual analysis technique (Harold Bloom) i.e. Anxiety of Influence and for necessity of data mining and comparison of such texts in order to identify today prevailing streams while believing in that writing of historical texts in Ilkhanan Career is affected by competitive stream and prose- writing artificial trend at the given time and as an attempt to release from the anxiety, which caused by salient nature of contemporary or ex- writer; consequently, despite of acknowledgment to Joveini’s mastery, and lest of dominance of prose of Jahangosha History, writer of Vassaf History book has tried to show himself as innovator and founder of the given style by using creativity in application of literary terms.

In the present essay, it is tried to discuss and survey concerning to metaphorical meaning of phrase “of tooth based” and its derivatives in poetry texts. Initially, it has been strived at purposing the metaphorical meaning of the given phrase in glossaries and thesauruses of metaphors. Then, in addition to the illustrated meaning in dictionaries (cordially, with one’s all heart, enthusiastically etc.), it is intended to refer to another meaning (inevitably, necessarily, coercively etc.) of this metaphor, which have been used in the old tests particularly Khorasani Literary Style and the early time of Iraqi Style and they might be ignored mainly by lexicographers. At the end, we are trying to characterize the approximate limit of arising the new meaning (cordially etc.) and ellipsis of the former meaning (inevitably etc.) or in other word, prevailing new meaning over the previous concept.

Asar-Al-Vozara (literally: Works of Chancellors) is a historical book, written in Persian language, about biographies and important works of chancellors (kings’ grand viziers), which was written by Seif- Al- Din Hajji- Ibn- Nezam Aghili as one of the authors and secretaries in Teimurid’s court within ninth century (h./ (15th AD cen.) He wrote this book for Khajeh Ghavameddin Nezam-al-Molk around (875-892 h./ ?AD). Body of this book includes two essays where the first article comprises twelve chapters and the second essay has four chapters. The significant question about lingual features of Asar-Al-Vozara book is in that to what extent this work has possessed style characteristics of ninth century (15th AD cen.)?What it seems is in that due to several excerptions from different books by its author, Asar-Al-Vozara book has been written in different styles. Sometimes, it reminds us of marvelous simplicity, trimming and rhetoric of Abulfazl Beyhaghi and his teacher, Bunasr Moshkan and occasionally it reflects lexical rhyme, balances and terms from Jame-Al-Tavarikh book. It often has tended to prevalent and common literary style of writer’s time so that it becomes loose, uneven and ripe.In this book, greater number of Arabic words and phrases have been used than other the written books at ninth century (15th AD cen.) while Mongolian and Turkish words might rarely seen there. Sentences have been expressed tersely and on some occasions verbosity might be observed within body of the book. At this paper, it has been tried to study on lingual level (phonetic, lexical, and syntactic) in an abstract from chapters of the book (totally 106pages) of Asar-Al-Vozara, by analysis on body of this book through enjoying research history.

In the present study, we seek for answering to this question that: How to reflect natural and environmental elements (plants and animals) in poetic collection written by Farokhi Sistani, as one of the well-known naturalist poets in Khorasani Literary Style? What kind of results may be obtained by conducting statistical analysis on this subject based on SPSS statistic software than statistical data analysis and by using statistic tests like ANOVA? Afterward, which type of achievements will be obtained by comparison of the results from verses of two other poets in Khorasani Style (i.e. Manoochehri and Onsori), who paid attention to natural elements particularly flower, plant, birds and other animals? For this purpose, ten main entries and their subsets were determined based on important natural elements and that poetic information in which at least one of environmental elements were included listed in this database and then obtained reports and results were analyzed statistically. Study results indicate that there is at least one of natural elements in many verses of all three poets. The most frequent environmental element in verses of Onsori and Manoochehri corresponds to civil entries and then flowers and plants while in Farokhi’s verse, more attention was paid to birds and other animals and particularly the given animals and then civil objects are located at second place. This indicates thorough familiarity and fondness of all three poets to culture and cultural and civil symbols as well as surrounding nature. Special attention which is paid by these poets to flower and its components as well as birds and other animals and using special flowers, particularly in Manoochehri’s verse, are the remarkable points in this regard; this issue also exists in kinds of birds; of course, in most and least frequently application. At the same time, there are several differences in poet’s attention toward a specific type of flowers and plants and or birds and type of their application and frequency where these points were implied in the body of this article and then analyzed.

The present article is intended to introduce artistic and specific literary style in book of Nafsat-Al- Masdoor. In addition to historical aspect and as one of the rhetoric masterpieces in technical and epistolary prose in seventh century (14th Ad century), this book is significant in terms of its rhetoric structure and characteristics.Despite of common aspects in technical and artificial prose, author’s attention, persistence and craving to adoration of utterance by lexical rhetoric and special distinction (lexicon) by observance of rhyme, balancing and symmetry as well as embellishment and allusion of speech by implication of religious traditions, proverbs, Arabic and Persian verses and some appositives might lead his prose to have individual style rather than style of his career in comparison with some salient works of his contemporaries including “Marzban Nameh ” and “ Jahangosha History ”.Here in brief, we studied on some of most frequently used literary terms in Nafsat-Al-Masdoor book along with few samples from Marzban Nameh and Jahangosha History where their constituent elements are based onphoneme iteration. All lexical terms, types of wordplay, rhyme, iteration, palindrome, derivation and quasi- derivation are used based on phonemes repetition where the author has not adopted them only for decoration of speech by observance rhetoric book rules and regulations but for creation of melody and specific tone of speech on order to induce the meaning better while drawing portraits of the inflicted pain and passions from Mongols’ plunder by application of speech as tool and expressed his own emotions to one to whom he served.By special proficiency in speech and through aesthetic and highly frequent use of words by iteration technique, “Zeydari Nasavi” who caused approaching his prose to poetic language enjoyed this characteristic and created aesthetic link between lexicon and meaning and improved the inspired atmosphere and effect of his poetic characteristics by music of its lexicon in this work.

One of the main themes and topics of children and teenagers’ poetry in our country is God. Since audience of such poems enjoys lesser mental faculties and experiences to comprehend abstract concepts so various tools should be made objective and tangible in such implications for them. The existing characteristics, vocatives, bounties and prayers in nursery rhyme indicate that nursery poets have adopted nature as a tool for depiction and characterization of God for children and teens. Sky with its belongings, rain, cloud, star, sun and moon as well as earth with mount, plane, sea and the existing flowers and plants and group of animals and often livestock, especially birds and in particular butterfly, nightingale and pigeon are the main core of those images, which were portrayed by nursery poets. God is present in most detailed natural phenomena in nursery rhyme and it is interwoven with all segments and elements. God has been observed in nursery rhyme by pantheist view that is the bequest of mysticism.

Azerbaijani orArrani style is the poets’ literary style at northwestern area of Iran i.e. Arran and Azerbaijan region in sixth century (13th AD century). Abul- Ala-E-Ganjavi was the master of this literary field. The most famous poets in this literary style are: Mojireddin Bileghani, Falaki Shervani, Khaghaniand Nezami. Their poetical characteristics are the same as of Khorasni parlance in terms of language base, but such characteristics have created dramatic change intellectually and particularly in terms of literary coordinates. In this article, we dealt with some stylistic elements if Falaki’s poems as one of founders of Azerbaijani style from different views (lingual, intellectual and literary).

Since ancient times, Indian Land had been a secure place for Persian and Persian speakers and some of valuable Persian works have been written in this land. Ghazi Hamideddin Nagoori (died in 643 hegira year/ 1263 AD) is one of the Iranian mystics and writers who was inhabited in this land and he has written some valuable treatises in Persian language of which we can refer to Resaleh-E-Eshghiyeh” (literally: Love Treatise).At this article, we initially introduce the author and Resaleh- E-Eshghiyeh briefly and then examine the given treatise stylistically where internal and external aspect of this book has been taken into consideration. This survey covers three main parts including intellectual and content characteristics, lingual properties, and literary specifications.

One of the foremost tools in determination of lingual, literary and intellectual parameters of any work is stylistic survey of each literary work so along with statistical accurate data may clear position and significance of the given writing more than ever. In fact, interpretation of writing style based on statistic data reflects artistic infrastructure and surface level of style owner while demonstrating salient characteristics of the mentioned writing.By a stylistic view at fifty sonnets of Khajooy-E-Kermani in this paper, the selected sonnets have been examined at three lingual, literary and intellectual levels. At any level, some explanation and analysis were given along with evidence and then it was referred to distinctions and innovations in Khajoo’s style at each of the given levels and obtained result was expressed. At literary level, rhymed and melodious words are highly frequent and this is one of the most distinguishing characteristics in this style. At lingual axis, most of verbs were used in present tense and at intellectual level romantic concepts and meanings mainly govern on most of sonnets.The given statistics and the analyses based on which are one of the fundamental parts of the current study and obtained results are deemed as the best model and platform for acquaintance with structure and content of the discussed sonnets.

Whereas Kalileh and Demneh book (Pencha Tantara) is one of the ethical and pedagogical books in practical wisdom and contrivance method, the author of the present paper has tried to express some advices and admonishment and remark moral subjects as well as illustration of her thoughts and ideas within the framework of tales, anecdotes and allegories. Adoption of sixth century style and technique of interwoven tale-to-tale has led that stories and allegories in Kalileh and Demneh book (fable) to enjoy using multiple and various character- whether human or animal, since any story is based on characters so they act on or are reacted by events. In such storytelling style, some issues could be observed clearly like terse anecdotes and lack of adequate opportunity for characterization, dealing with content at first place and not caring to tale physical characteristics so one may say that most of characters are those ones, which were made by writer.In the present article, author has strived to examine storytelling style and characterization in Kalileh and Demneh- through evaluation of them by modern stylistic criteria.

The poetic imitation, quest, and response are some of artistic prevalent traditions in versification of Islamic traditional poems and particularly among Iranian poets where it is a type of versification by following of the previous model. In rhetoric book, this subject has been generally purposed and discussed under title of plagiarism. At this essay, in response to some questions such as: Do these quests and imitations from poets have any stylistic values and benefits? And if so, which are such values and benefits? We tried to explore and extract imitations from Iranian poets in versifying this poem from the beginning of Persian literature period until recent time; for example, in a very well- known ode that was versified by Sanaee with following prologue:“Oh Muslims! Oh Muslims. Keep out Islam,Keep out Islam, Of this atheist tradition, be repent, be repent!”And also on the one hand, review of questing verses may clearly indicate major artistic inclinations among the poets of an era and consequently basic characteristics of the literary style at the given period; and on the other hand, historical follow- up and review of questing samples throughout Persian literature period could prepare appropriate and befitting ground for investigation into stylistic changes in Persian verse.The other important outcome of such exploration is to clarification of significance, consideration and questing nature of a poet and his/ her works in history of Persian literature.

Using personification (style) is one of the distinctive characteristics of mystical aesthetic language and it is originated from ideology and attitude of artistic mystic figures like Molana. Molana believes in That all creatures and universe phenomena enjoy type of life, conscience and intelligence, which are impetus and leading factor for them toward wholeness. Reflection of such impression could be identified everywhere obviously in his works, particularly Spiritual Couplets and Sonnets as one of the important characteristics of his language and style and it is subjected to be studied.The present essay deals with personification and types of its structures in Molana’s couplets in order to elaborate their significance as one of the rhetoric and stylistic advantages of his language and to indicate the frequency of using each of them by contrasting of personification various structures. Similarly, by comparison of total number of figurative propositions and all other parameters of the given poet’s style i.e. simile, allegory, hyperbole, paradox and sympathy, uniqueness of this structure, which is situated at second place, may become more evident.

Subject is a term on which no study has been yet conducted because of its evident nature at first place while it is not distinguished from cognate terms so anyone has emphasized on his/ her studies based on his/ her own personal impression and definition from the subject. At the present study, first by adequate explanations about different dimensions of “subject” term and clarifying its limits and boundaries and the relevant issues, this term is introduced thereby through such topics like the relationship between subject with various literary aspects and techniques of subject identification in texts and their representation has been elaborated. Afterward, the existing difference among subject and its cognate terms i.e. subject matter, theme, motif, content, lexicon and terms is given and their border has been characterized as possible in order to support these studies based on those documentations. Finally, the importance of hermeneutics and its possible applications are also implied, including in stylistics, comparative literature, in lexicography of thematic thesauruses, dictionaries of words and idioms, introduction of culture and civilization and ideology of people, and identifying motifs.

The present paper is intended to interpret similarities and degree of Attar’s impression from this book by implying some evidences from Ghovat-Al Gholoob book of Abutaleb Makki, and Attar’s quartet couplet collections including Mosibat Nameh (Book of Suffer), Elahi Nameh (Divine Book), and Manteq-Al-Tayr (Conference of the Birds). In two separate sections, this essay deals with similar allegories in works of these two mystics and then examines the identical implications among both of them while through analysis on the given topics, it reflects a clear image of intellectual relationship among these two mystic figures and degree of Attar’s impression by this book. And finally, it achieves to an obvious conclusion about different forms of such impression.

In study of Bidel’s style and examining numerical subordinates in his poem, this belief may form that one of the arts which is manifested in Indian Literary Style, particularly Bidel’s verse are novel compositions and using number in their structure and they acted as variation factor for lexicons and terms in language. Structure of such compositions and creation of new style and Bidel’s defiance are determinant factor for position of his style among poets from Indian Style of literature. In the present quest, it was tried to refer to structure of numerical subordinates of any type, which were called as disambiguating factors by Shafiee Kadkaniin book of “Poet of Mirrors” and also novel compositions and new concepts of Bidel’s sonnets and analysis on their link so that one of poetical techniques of Bidel to be displayed. It is noteworthy that all prototype examples of sonnets of Bidel Dehlavi were derived from Bidel’s poetic collection, which was edited by Akbar Baharvand and Parviz Abbasi Dakani etc.

One of the foremost classic literary works in Persian literature is Haft Ourangbook of Jami that is full of pedagogical and allegorical tales and stories. Although, by versification of anecdotes and tales, Jami aimed at giving message and inducing pedagogical and moral result and making mental and abstract meaning more tangible. However, no one can ignore pondering in aesthetic structure and narrative style and techniques in anecdotes and tales as well. Since each of Persian literary works has specific way of structural stylistic authenticity and it requires identifying and conducting study on the literary works proportional to conditions and expediencies of each period and as necessary factor to enter the wide world of these works and opening the window toward identifying their versifier. At the current article, it is tried to express structural characteristics and models of anecdotes in Haft Ourang while examining narrative elements like outline, characteristics of figures, and number of characters in order to take a stride toward indentifying the constituent elements of anecdotes structure and their stylistics.

Shahnameh epic, the national-cultural heritage and a documentary evidence of Iranian identity, despite the attempts made by Shahnameh scholars, still has a great number of ideas and symbols requiring profound studies from the viewpoint of ideology, symbology, and lexicology. On the other hand, Shahnameh, since it has been composed in Farsi language, is a rich source of, as well as the key to the permanence of, Farsi Language. If we believe that the social context of the period in which a poet lives will affect dramatically the way a literary work is created and that a poet will be under the influence of the manners and practices of his/her own surrounding area, then there are manners, practices, and minor cultures throughout the province Khorasan, the Great, located in Iran country, which can be studied, collected, and recorded not only to preserve and transfer them to further generations but also to solve the secrets behind a great number of symbols and lexical and semantic complexities found in Farsi texts, whether in verse or in prose; the present article has been written based on the same approach – doing a critical review about a line from the epic Shahnameh based on the manners and practices remaining from ancient times in Khorasan, the Great. The two lines in the story of Rostam and Sohraab, which come into focus in the present study, refer to the words of Gerdaafareed, the Iranian charming heroine, when she finds herself unable to cope with Sohraab in the battlefield and her beautiful hair and face are revealed; she then tries to deceive Sohraab, the honest naïve young hero, with her feminine tricks, calling enchantingly from the top of the castle:"نباشی بس ایمن به بازوی خویش       خورد گاو نادان ز پهلوی خویش"“Thou shall not be that safe by thy arm (=power) Stupid cows feed on the milk from their own sides (=teats) ”In this article, first, the second line has been considered from the viewpoint of commentators and Shahnameh scholars; then their opinions have been criticized and evaluated, and, in another part of the article, it has been attempted to reach the correct and appropriate meaning of the two lines based on the current manners and practices of the old traditional farmers and cattlemen in Gonaabaad city. It has been argued that the idiomatic phrase “feed on their teats/sides”, [=“cut their own throat” in English] besides the secondary meaning of harming oneself as the figurative sense of the idiom, has been intended to refer to the meaning developed in mind by the literal image, i.e. the primary meaning; thus, “side” does mean “teat”, besides meaning “from; through”.