Journal of Literary Studies
Year:2010 | Volume:43 | Issue:2 (169)|Papers Count:7

This article surveys about the role and meaning of the word “Jameh” ([ymk']: jamag / yamak) in this sentence: be et [ymk']: jamag / yamak-e dah ke bareh(This “Jame” that you take). This sentence is addressed to Zoroaster, while he is ascending to the sky in the Seventh Book of Denkard. This study is based on the historical root-finding and the usage of the word “Jameh” in texts of Gurani (3-14 centuries A.H.) from the Northwestern group of Iranian languages (Partian). The word “Jameh” in this language is widely used to mean body, figure and skeleton. “Jameh” is the place, where the human psyche shows itself, and during ascension and death, the psyche separates from it. Therefore during Zoroaster's ascension to the sky, Amshaspand Bahman told him to leave his “Jameh” -body on the earth and go on a psychological journey with Minoo’s Bahman.

Starting from the 6th century A.H., and especially starting from the Mongol era onward, along with the flourishing of historiography, historical shahnameh-composition also became a point of interest, and shahnamehs appeared with the aim of recording historical events. In the composition of these shahnamehs, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh was like a model for the shahnameh-writers, and due to this the spirit of the ruler had a direct or an indirect affect on the historical compositions. This is despite the fact that the Mongol myths and epics had come in to the compositions of this era, which was dependent on the subject of these shahnamehs, which was the Mongol people and the rulers, which had rose from there. Examination of the content of these versified histories can assist in shedding light on some new dimensions of the Iranian literary history, as well as the historical changes taking place in the given work. Among these, some of the poetic works that are still remaining in the manuscript form have more new materials. The Chengizid Shahnameh and the Shahanshahnameh are the two important examples of such shahnamehs, which have been composed about the history of the Mongols. The given article introduces, breaks-down, and analysis these two works in order to show the level of the shahnamehs-composition during the period discussed.

The influence of Persian poetry on American literature is one of the discussions that have been reviewed to a lesser degree by those, who have done research in the field of comparative literature. The subject of the current article is to examine the influence of Hafez of Shiraz on the romantic poet and the transcendentalist philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The given research first gives a short introduction on his life and framework of thought, then introduces Emerson’s literary style, and provides information on his acquaintance with Hafez through German median texts. The second part examines Hafez’s personality in the eyes of the American poet-philosopher, and evaluates the quality of Emerson’s translations of the works of Hafez. In the final part, through a comparative study of Emerson’s and Hafez’s poetry, intellectual and stylistic similarities of the two poets, and the extent of Hafez’s influence on Emerson are examined. Hafez’s influence on Emerson is not only evident in his contents and imagination forms, but also in his intellectual framework. These similarities are illustrated through citation of articles, as well as the poetry of Emerson and their comparison with Hafez’s poetry.

Among the many works that have been incorrectly attributed to Attar of Nishapur is the amorous verse work, Gol and Hormoz, which is popularly known as Khosrownameh. In the past few decades, after the research by Dr. Shafiei Kadkani, it has become apparent that without any doubt this work does not belong to Attar of Nishapur. However, the identity of the author has still not been identified. We have demonstrated in this research that Gol and Hormoz was composed close to 600 A.H. in Esfahan, and its author is Sheikh Attar Abdollah Mohammad Mianeji (Mianei), who has passed away in 619 A.H.

Among distinguished characters in mystical compositions is “Pir-e Moghan” with an inclination towards Malamati ideas. This lyrical persona, who usually appears as an alternative to the khaneqah (Sufi Commune) guides, was the most influential symbol of the “Sorud-ha-ye Rendaneh” (pious rogue compositions) at a certain period of the history of the Persian lyrical history. Among the interpretations of this group of poets, especially Hafez, various interpretations of the “Pir-e Moghan” have been suggested. Beyond those explanations and analyses, and having in mind the first poetical compositions containing this symbolism, the writer has interpreted this idea as “sharabe dir sale Mogh Sakhteh” (The old wine made by the Mogh-Magi), which according to the pattern of “hum” has been personified as “Pir-e Moghan” with distinguishing behavioral attitudes, tendencies and beliefs.

Metonymy is one of the ambiguous factors in the literary eloquence. Yakobson in his discussion about figurative and metaphoric poles of the language, considers figure substituting process on the vicinity basis and he takes it into account as an obvious characteristic of the prose. Whereas figure in literary eloquence, especially in contemporary poetry, is considered as an eloquent element because of the new relations and interests that the poet creates between the real and figurative meaning. Of course, since metonymy is formed based on association of vicinity, it is known soon and it is one-meaning, so its ambiguity is less than the other figurative categories. Perhaps it is for this reason that its use in the contemporary poetry is limited and the contemporary poets are not inclined to use it in their poems. But in these limited cases, they sometimes have had innovations that show their selection and the combination of different linguistic potentials, indicating the special style and the degree of imitation and innovation in his eloquent field. In this article, the descriptive-analytic method is used in the poems of the four contemporary poets (Nima Youshij, Akhavan Sales, Sohrab Sepehri and Forough Farrokhzad). It is intended, while examining metonymy and its role in making artistic ambiguity, to analyze the ambiguities resulting from this literary category.

Allusion is one of the styles of covered expression, and is one of the basic elements of illustration in the History of Vassaf. Vassaf al-Hazrah tries to make the prose closer to the poetic prose and add to its effect by using expression elements and especially illusion. The lack of an edited copy of the History of Vassaf and its obliged and created prose has been the reason that this work has been kept away from the researchers. In this research, allusion and their artistic uses is examined, broken-down and analyzed, as one of the elements of imagination. Through the usage of the description and analysis method, firstly the allusive illustrations of the History of Vassaf are examined from the perspective of the main words from the traditional point of view, and then allusion is reviewed as one of the factors of creation of ambiguity in the History of Vassaf. The conclusion of the given research makes it clear that Vassaf’s usage of allusive illustrations is one of his colloquialism methods, which includes greatness of the word, which at the end brings it closer to poetic prose.