Reflections of Protest in the Poetry of Simindokht Vahidi

Abstract

Protest literature, as one of the prominent literary movements, has consistently played an important role in reflecting the social, political, and cultural concerns of poets and writers. The present study aimed to identify and analyze protest themes in the poetry of Simindokht Vahidi, one of the distinguished figures of contemporary Iranian poetry. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the study examined two principal dimensions of protest in her poems: transnational protest and domestic protest. At the transnational level, Vahidi’s poetry adopts a humanitarian perspective rooted in religious beliefs and addresses global issues such as crimes against the Palestinian people, imposed wars, and the desecration of Islamic sanctities. Through emotive and symbolic language, she criticizes the inefficiency of international institutions and the silence of the global community. At the domestic level, her protests focus on such issues as the erosion of moral values, hypocrisy, materialism, the neglect of the ideals of the Revolution and the martyrs, and cultural invasion. The findings indicate that Vahidi employs literary devices such as bitter satire, irony, and poetic imagery to articulate her social criticism effectively, inviting readers to reflect and pursue reform. A distinctive feature of her poetry is its profound connection with Islamic values and social commitment, which transforms her protest into a call for collective awakening and the preservation of national and spiritual identity.