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