Treasury of Persian Language and Literature

Children’s and adolescents’ poetry, as a form of lyrical literature, plays a significant role in the development of language, imagination, and emotions in young readers. One of the fundamental components in attracting young audiences is the use of internal music within the structure of the poem—music that emerges through techniques such as repetition, paronomasia (pun), alliteration, and assonance. This study aims to examine the function of internal music in folk poems for children and adolescents and to analyze the aesthetic strategies employed in this genre. The research method is descriptive-analytical, based on textual analysis of selected poems by contemporary poets in the field of children’s and adolescents’ literature. Data were collected through purposive sampling and analyzed with a focus on phonetic elements and rhetorical devices. The findings of the study revealed that free repetition and phonetic repetition had the highest frequency in the poems analyzed and contributed significantly to the creation of rhythm, euphony, and conceptual retention in the audience’s mind. Moreover, the widespread use of paronomasia and alliteration led to the creation of linguistic playfulness, enhanced auditory appeal, and stimulated children’s creativity. Assonance was also frequently used as a technique to reinforce the resonance and fluidity of the poem. The results of this study indicate that internal music not only enhances the aesthetic dimension of children’s poetry but also serves as an effective factor in strengthening language skills, facilitating the learning process, and fostering emotional connection with the audience. These findings underscore the importance of children’s poets paying attention to musical techniques and employing them consciously in the composition of poems.

The national epic of Iran, the Shahnameh, is the most monumental and identity-defining work for the people of Iran from ancient times to the present, holding a particularly significant place in the field of mythological studies. What renders the Shahnameh enduring and immortal—more than any other major mythological work—is that traces of myth can be found throughout all of its narratives, including the historical section. This claim is substantiated by the observable presence of mythological elements across various events in the historical accounts of the Shahnameh. The aim of this study is to explore the mythological traces and the marvelous, extraordinary occurrences found in the historical part of the Shahnameh by examining selected stories from this section. The significance of Ferdowsi’s method of engaging with historical events becomes more apparent when we recognize that the sub-narratives concerning the lives and reigns of historical figures in the third part of the Shahnameh are, in some cases, presented as hyperrealities rather than pure historical facts. This study, which employs a descriptive-analytical method based on library data and document analysis, will demonstrate that the Master of Tus, particularly in recounting sub-narratives in the historical section of the Shahnameh, significantly employed mythological approaches in the narration of historical events.

This study analyzes the social relationships and associations of characters in Saadi’s Gulistan through the lens of Edwin Sutherland’s theory of differential association. The differential association theory emphasizes that social behaviors—particularly deviant ones—are shaped through interactions and learning from companions. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of social environments and human relationships on the behavior of characters and to present models for social crime prevention. Using content analysis methodology, this study examines the anecdotes in Gulistan from a criminological perspective, focusing on how social relationships affect the characters’ behaviors. The findings indicate that positive social environments and associations guide individuals toward ethical and socially constructive behaviors, whereas corrupt environments give rise to deviant conduct. These results underscore that Saadi’s teachings can be effective in crime prevention and in promoting positive social relations in contemporary society. The analysis of anecdotes reveals that Saadi, with particular sensitivity, highlights the decisive role of environment and companions in the formation of personality and behavior.

This study analyzes the social relationships and associations of the characters in Saadi's Golestan from the perspective of Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory. Differential association theory emphasizes that social behaviors, especially deviant ones, are formed through interactions and learning from peers. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of the social environment and human relationships on the behavior of the characters and to present models for the social prevention of crime. Using the content analysis method, this study has examined Saadi's Golestan anecdotes from the perspective of criminology and the impact of social relationships on the behavior of the characters. The results of the study show that positive social environments and associations guide the characters towards moral and social behaviors, while corrupt environments lead to deviant behaviors. These findings emphasize that Saadi's teachings can be effective in preventing crime and promoting positive social relationships in today's society. Analysis of the anecdotes shows that Saadi paid particular attention to the determining role of the environment and companions in shaping the personality and behavior of individuals.

Art, including literature, constitutes an indirect and artistic mode of expression, and poets and writers employ various devices to achieve this objective—one such device being kināyah (metaphorical allusion). Kināyah, while inherently indirect and artistic, is also one of the most prominent techniques for aesthetic enhancement in language, and it is born and nurtured within the cultural and customary context of the society in which it emerges. One of the distinctive features of Kamal Khujandi’s ghazals is that, within the mirror of his verse, occasional reflections of folk literature and beliefs—such as proverbs, allusions, idiomatic expressions, and collective cultural assumptions—are manifest. He has effectively utilized such elements to articulate his poetic thoughts. This characteristic contributes to the vividness and chromatic diversity of his poetry. One of the primary literary tools employed by Kamal Khujandi is kināyah. The present study investigates metaphorical allusions and their role in the aestheticization of language within the Divan of Kamal Khujandi. Conducted as a theoretical study using a library-based research method, the investigation explores kināyāt (plural of kināyah) in Kamal Khujandi’s Divan with the aim of demonstrating the significance of allusions and their role in beautifying language in the context of the Iraqi style of Persian poetry. The study applies both analytical and descriptive methodologies. It was observed that a significant number of the kināyāt employed by the poet involve the use of human body parts in their structure. Furthermore, in employing kināyāt in his poetry, the poet has paid close attention to rhetorical figures, with ihām (pun), tanāsob (semantic harmony), takrār (repetition), and jinās (paronomasia) being the most salient. Additionally, in some of his metaphorical allusions, the poet has utilized elements traditionally associated with tashbīh (simile). Therefore, it can be concluded that Kamal Khujandi was deeply aware of the role of metaphorical allusion in the creation of aesthetic beauty and made effective use of this literary device to express his thoughts, emotions, and poetic sentiments. His deliberate integration of metaphorical phrases with similes and other literary techniques reflects his mastery and artistic sophistication.

National epics are expressions of the beliefs, culture, and ancient customs of a people, created based on myths and rituals. Ferdowsi is a poet who both "creates and composes epics," and epic poetry is defined as a genre that evokes the spirit of zeal, bravery, intensity, and resistance—whether its theme is inherently epic or centered on the story of a hero. Shiite epic upbringing, grounded in ancient culture and religious tradition, serves as a pathway to opening new horizons in social function and decisive historical arenas—an endeavor whose necessity is increasingly felt. The present study aims to examine the commonalities between national epic and religious epic. Using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on library research, this study seeks to analyze the epics of Rostam in the Shahnameh by referring to the foundations and teachings of the Qur'an. The findings of this study indicate that although the foundations of national epic align with those of Islamic education, there are aspects within the national epic that diverge from Islamic educational paradigms. These distinctions are explored in the current research.

The function of the temporal element within the domain of narrative literature has consistently manifested itself from diverse perspectives and dimensions. In fact, telling or writing a narrative without the involvement of time appears to be impossible. According to Genette’s theory, when events are not narrated at the time of their occurrence or in their proper sequence, the chronological order of events within the story becomes disrupted in the narrative. Events that describe future occurrences and those that recount past incidents are referred to as prolepsis and analepsis, respectively. The present study aims to analyze the short and long narratives within Masnavi Ma’navi using Genette’s theory, which is considered one of the most contemporary theories concerning the elements of focalization and temporality in narrative structure. This study was conducted using a descriptive–analytical method. The findings indicate how Rumi, in Masnavi Ma’navi, skillfully and beautifully harnesses the literary-narrative capacities of the temporal element and focalization in crafting his stories, contributing to the timelessness of his work in the minds of readers. The narrative in Masnavi does not flow linearly; rather, it contains numerous disruptions that arise from various narrative factors. To recover from these disruptions and resume the narrative, Rumi employs unique techniques that reintegrate the listener into the flow and atmosphere of the interrupted story. These narrative return formulas in Masnavi are not only used when the narrator deviates from the main narrative due to interpretive digressions and intends to return, but also when elaborating on the setting or characters within the main story itself.

Love for the homeland, patriotism, and nationalism have long served as instruments in the hands of numerous thinkers and intellectuals to evoke deep emotions and awaken the people’s consciousness in the struggle against despotism, arrogance, and colonialism. Among such ideologies, nationalist discourse stands out as one of the influential intellectual movements within the political sphere and modern political history of Iran. This school of thought has offered new interpretations and orientations to the idea of freedom—an aspiration that Iranians have pursued since the Constitutional Revolution—by associating it with liberation from the yoke of global colonialism and imperialism, the fight against poverty, and other such ideals. Examining the impact of nationalist discourse on the Iranian conception of freedom—which itself functioned as an ideology guiding the quest for liberty—is of particular importance. Given the complexity of examining all aspects of this phenomenon, this article specifically investigates the representation of the idea of freedom in the literary works of two nationalist poets as a means of discerning the broader effects of nationalist discourse. The influence of nationalism on Iranian political literature is evident through its impact on both the writer and the reader. This study aims to analyze nationalism in the poetry of Mehdi Akhavan Sales and Hamid Mosaddegh using the discourse analysis method developed by Laclau and Mouffe (1985). "Homeland" and "Iran" emerge as central signifiers, while "anti-despotism" and "freedom-seeking" function as floating signifiers. Additionally, both poets' works show a significant engagement with mythological themes. The Iranian individual is portrayed as a political subject.