Representation of the Idea of Freedom in the Discourse of Nationalism: A Study of the Poems of Two Nationalist Poets, Mehdi Akhavan Sales and Hamid Mosaddegh

Abstract

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.