Prepared by
Iraj Bashiri
Of the various areas of Persian culture, Persian literature
was affected considerably more than any other by the interactions among the
fledgling Iranian middle class, the royal house, and the representatives of
progressive Western cultures. The latter part of the cultural history of the
Qajars (1779-1925) is suffused with examples of such early encounters,
encounters that eventually came to roost, in the 1960's and 1970's, at the
thresholds of both the Iranian and Western cultures involved.
Although both Persian prose and Persian poetry were
affected, the impact on the latter was more pronounced and, consequently, more
controversial. Rising from among the masses, innovators like Ali Akbar
Dihkhuda, Nima Yushij,
and Forugh
Farrukhzad introduced, developed, and presented a
totally new vista for appreciation of Persian poetry. Motivated by the new
social, political, and economic situation in Iran, they set out to better the
lives of the uneducated and the exploited by composing poignant pieces to which
the general public could relate and in which they could see the causes of the
country's afflictions and stagnation. Their arrival on the literary scene, of
course, was a breath of fresh air considering that both the court poets and the
Sufi masters that had preceded them had placed personal satisfaction and
spiritual gratification ahead of the welfare of the multitude.
The poetry of Yushij and Farrukhzad, however, was not meant to be a replacement for
traditional Persian poetry. That tradition, in fact, continued to grow with
masterly contributions by Malak al-Shu'ara Bahar, Parvin 'E'tesami,
and many others. And it continues to grow as Iran's revolutionary generation
examines the mood of its time and expresses its appreciation of the events that
swept the Shah and his administration from power.
Obviously, the emergence of "new poetry," was not
without its own difficulties. It created a heated controversy the conclusion of
which is yet to come. The critics simply cannot decide which, the traditional
or the new poetry is better. And they are not yet ready to accept that Tavallali's poetry can be appreciated for what it is just
as much as Shamlu's
verses are appreciated for what they are. After all, the milieu that directed Manuchehri or the one that educated Rumi are in no way
comparable to the revolutionary fervor that compelled Sultan-pour and Golsurkhi
to serve as the mouthpieces of their times. Yet as poets, both groups, the
traditional as well as the "new," have reached their audiences and
have contributed to the enhancement of Iran's singular cultural heritage.
List of Poets:
Forūgh Farrokhzād's Unfinished Experiment
Forūgh Farrokhzād's Influences on the Poetry of Forugh Farrokhzad
The Pilgrimmage
by Nasir-i Khusrau
translated by A. J. Arberry