Examining the Components of Compassion Psychology in the Poetry Collection A Mirror for Voices from Gilbert’s Perspective

Abstract

Compassion, in addition to reducing suffering, has also been employed in meanings and concepts such as preventing suffering and the tendency toward the well-being and prosperity of others, with the goal of preventing the creation of pain and distress. The present study aims to examine the components of Paul Gilbert’s concept of "compassion" in the poetry collection A Mirror for Voices. This research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to explore the theme of compassion in the poetry of Shafi'i Kadkani based on the psychological components proposed by Gilbert. Analyzing this poetry collection reveals that concepts related to compassion, from the perspective of Gilbert’s psychological theories, hold a significant position in this important work. In other words, Gilbert’s twelve dimensions and subcategories of compassion are largely applicable to Shafi'i Kadkani’s poetry. Considering the contemporaneity of Shafi'i Kadkani and Gilbert, a substantial degree of semantic commonality is observed in Kadkani’s poetic system, which warrants further and more extensive examination. The findings indicate that among Gilbert’s twelve components of compassion, the elements of empathy, compassionate feelings, and compassionate behavior account for the highest percentage. This highlights the cultural, literary, and psychological richness of contemporary poets, which, unfortunately, has received limited attention, while modern Western and advanced psychological sciences affirm these theories.