Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers
Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers [PP: 17-24] Hassan Haidary (Corresponding Author) Department of Persian Language and Literature Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Arak University, Arak Iran Reza Taghizadeh Department of Persian Language and Literature Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Arak University, Arak Iran ABSTRACT Studying the stylistic aspects of literary works in fact began since the Safavid dynasty, when many biographers in Iran and in India attempted to study and criticize the poems of Iranian and Indian poets. Although biographers were more or less studying the stylistic issues from earlier periods, they were not deeply involved and mainly attempted to criticize the works. This study concerns to determine to what extent the biographers in the past have addressed and studied stylistics in its current meaning. The study has employed the stylistic approach to literary works proposed by Cyrus Shamisa in his book General Stylistics including linguistic (at phonological, lexical, and syntactic levels), intellectual, and literary levels. Each biography is analyzed according to the linguistic levels. The study primarily aimed to address and study the stylistic aspects of selected biographies, from Lubab ul-Albab to Sokhan Va Sokhanvaran. These biographies were compared in terms of the three linguistic, intellectual, and literary levels. The results showed that before the contemporary period, most of these biographies had many similarities in addressing these three levels and only the contemporary biographies have paid more attention to stylistics issues. In addition, the literary level of the poems has been studied more than their intellectual level. It indicates that the figures of speech used in poems have been more important to biographies than their intellectual context. Keywords: Stylistics, Biographies, Linguistic Level, Intellectual Level, Literary Level ARTICLE The paper received on Reviewed on Accepted after revisions on INFO 02/01/2019 30/01/2019 05/04/2019 Suggested citation: Haidary, H. & Taghizadeh, R. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(1). 17-24.
1. Introduction leaving these defects, we can extract stylistic In the past, stylistics did not refer to its issues from the content of these biographies. present-day meaning and biographers mostly 2. Stylistic Analysis of Persian attempted to generally criticize and describe Biographers at different Levels the poems. This, of course, was So far, the stylistic aspects of the accompanied by exaggeration in praise of biographies written during the Safavid the poets – mostly through the terms derived dynasty and in India have been studied, but from the poets‟ pen names and abundant no separate work has been conducted to figures of speech. Biographers have study these issues from the beginning of generally criticized the masterpieces of writing biographies until the contemporary Persian poetry. However, poems by average period. Scholars of stylistics have addressed poets can be also seen among these the biographies in Safavid dynasty from the biographies and they cannot be distinguished critical perspective and have not analyzed from the poems by outstanding poets as they them as written stylistic texts. Stylistic have been all described by similar phrases. issues in their today's modern meaning are Most of these anonymous poets have not more or less observed in these works, to composed poems but a few, which are not which it will be referred as follows. qualified when measured. Mostly, they have 2.1 Linguistic Level been among the friends and students of the Lubab ul-Albab by Aufi is the first biographers who have been mentioned as a available Persian biography, which is sign of respect or friendship. Nevertheless, addressed at first here too. In this biography, rhetorical issues are of primary importance
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019 and the poetry is measured through its Qovsi Tabrizi writes for ordinary people, he meter, rhythm, rhyme, and figures of speech, sometimes uses wrong rhymes” (ibid: 254). especially rhetoric figures. In the This shows that in Safavid period, ordinary phonological part and for the Leonine verse people wrote poems without knowing and balance, Aufi gives an example from the literature. On the other hand, the accuracy poem by Abdolvase Jebeli. He says that used by Sam mirza in versification and Qatran Tabrizi “has often observed the pun” studying rhyme shows that he has been (Aufi, 1985:214). Where it comes to the skillful in this technique. The stylistic poems of Mohammad Alavi, he says that judgment of other biographers is also mainly “he is remarkably good at using Leonine descriptive and is expressed through verse and rhymed poetry” (ibid: 267). Aufi statements with no analyses. does not pay attention to the lexical level Nesari Bukhari points to Showqi and at the syntactic level, he refers to the Bukhari in his “Mozakker-e Ahbab” and rhetoric and eloquence among the poets indicates that “he has duple-meter acrostics” generally, and does not point to the details. (Nasari Bukhari, 1998: 80) or he writes that He says that Mu'izzi “was the king of the Mulana Hussein “is truly skilled on eloquence territory" (ibid: 69). Similarly, he prosody” (ibid: 232). Also, he says that says that "Khalid Makki! You are the best in Amir Tayeb “has written an ode which can rhetoric and eloquence" (ibid: 138). be read through three meters” (ibid: 260). In However, he does not mention how and in another case, he describes an anonymous terms of what aspects their poems are poet who “mostly writes poems with hard eloquent. rhymes” (ibid: 267). Also, he writes that Similarly, this approach is observed in Majlesi Bukhari “is remarkably good at hard “Tazkirat ul-Shoara” by Dowlatshah rhymes” (ibid: 82). At syntactic level, Nesari Samarghandi. At the linguistic level and in considers Abd ul-Aziz Bahadur Khan, the phonological part, Dowlatshah knows Mulana Shukhi, Safi al-Din Mustafa, Ghada'iri as a powerful poet in because of Mohammad Amin Bi, Mansur Tabrizi and the use of derivation. He sees Rashid some other poets as eloquent. Vatvat's poems abundant in Leonine verse Amin Ahmad Razi in his “Haft and says that Sheikh Mahmoud “has written Eghlim” believes that the rhymes of the a narrative romantic poem through pun and praise poems of Shamsuddin bn Fakhr al- repeated rhyme which is really good" Din are among non-famous words. He says (Dowlatshah, 2003: 471). He says that that Maulana Ahli “was more skillful that Nizami “has many acrostics” (ibid: 129). In others in prosody and rhyme” (Razi, 2010: lexical part, Dowlatshah points to the artistic 223). Also, Razi considers the Am'aq‟s use of the Mongolian idioms and words in “Yusof and Zoleikha” as duple-meter. He an ode by Jami, which the author had rarely does not address the lexical part and seen in other poets‟ works. considers the poets such as Firdowsi, Asadi, Like Lubab ul-Albab, the general term Mulana, Vahshi, Am'aq, etc. as eloquent at of eloquence is mentioned in this biography the syntactic level. and no details are addressed in the syntactic At the linguistic level, Azar Bigdeli part. For example, Dowlatshah writes that writes in his Atashkadeh that Firdowsi‟s Firdowsi “is astonishingly eloquent” (ibid: Yusof and Zoleikha has Tagharob meter” 49) or “Farrukhi Sistani is considered unique (Bigdeli, 1958: 94). He writes that Mulana in rhetoric and eloquence” (ibid: 57). Ahli “has written a Mathnavi abundant in At the linguistic level and particularly pun and duple meter” (ibid.: 270) or Am'aq the phonological part, Sam Mirza names the “has written the Mathnavi of Yusof and poets who are skilled in prosody in his Zoleikha with dual rhyme” (ibid: 231). He “Tohfe-ye Sami”. For example, he writes only refers to the term eloquence, does not that Hafez Ali “is skilled in prosody” (Sam address the lexical part, and like other Mirza, 2005:113). He repeats the same about biographers, attributes the term eloquent to Mir Taqi al-din Muhammad, Mir Azizallah, some poets such as Mulla Hatefi, Amir Hafiz Babajan, Mullah Ahli Shirazi, etc. The Kamal ul-Din, Mulana Seyed Mohammad, author‟s obsession with rhyme is interesting. Mulana Sharaf ul-Din Ali Bafqi, etc. in the He believes that Shah Hossein Saghi “has syntactic level. used many incorrect rhymes” (ibid: 217), or At the linguistic level and in “incorrect rhymes are a lot in Adaie‟s phonological part, Khan-e Arezu in his poems” (ibid.: 239). Also, he knows Nazoky “Majma al-Nafayes” mentions a poet called Hamedani and Ghotbi Jenabodi as owners of Ali as an example, who has written a very poems with incorrect rhymes. He says “as disordered Mathnavi with many meters. He
Cite this article as: Haidary, H. & Taghizadeh, R. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(1). 17-24. Page | 18
Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers.. Hassan Haidary & Reza Taghizadeh
mentions that Faqir “is the best one in compatible with the sonnet” (ibid: 620) and prosody and rhyme” (Arezu, 2006: 108) or Fakhruddin As'ad Gurgani “doesn‟t consider Golshan “is completely skilled in rhythm” observing rhymes much necessary” (ibid: (ibid: 112). In syntactic part, Arezu 363). He regards Khaghani‟s poetry as mentions the eloquence of the poets in having Eltezam in difficult Radifs and general and does not address the details. Majir‟s poetry as having difficult Radifs and Azad Bilgrami in his “Khizanah-i- Eltezam. Amirah” presents some issued of prosody This approach has even come to concerning the meter of the poems while Badiozzaman Forouzanfar‟s Sokhan va introducing some poets such as Shah Afarin, Sokhanvaran. In its introduction, Mu'izzi and Ghoruri Shirazi. Azad says that Forouzanfar states that old biographers have Bidel “is powerful in using meters which are considered all of the poets to be at the same rarely used in sonnets, especially level and there is no good and bad among complicated and Motadarek meters” (Azad them. However, new stylistic points are not Bilgrami 2011:205) or says that Zolfaghari few in Sokhan va Sokhanvaran. In his book, Sherwani writes verses having different Forouzanfar reminds simplicity in poets‟ meters as acrostic. He praises the poets such style for the first time and praises those as Herafi, Sheida, Faqir Dehlavi and Raej styles which are closer to the nature of the because of being skillful in prosody and language. Although his criteria, like the old rhymes. In the syntactic part, Azad, like the ones, are still rhetoric, he indicates semantic other biographers, only mentions the criteria into stylistics and criticism for the eloquence of the poets and address the first time. Of course, his stylistic details. considerations have also entered the Reza Gholikhan Hedayat in his criticism domain and are somehow “Majma-ul-Fosaha” writes that Sanai considered as critical consideration as well. Ghaznavi “has six Mathnavies all with the In the lexical part, he writes that same meter” (Hedayat, 1960: 713) or Firdowsi “does not use far and strange indicates that Am'aq‟s “Yusof and Zoleikha” Persian words (ibid: 48) or that Farrukhi has been read in two meters. He also refers Sistani “uses common words and avoids to the poems of Shahab Isfahani, Nourali strange and malformed words (ibid: 125). Shah Isfahani, Neshatt Gorji Isfahani and Forouzanfar also indicates that Hakim Vesal Shirazi. Also, he writes that the poems Souzani “uses Arabic sentences and singular of Shahabuddin Modarani contain words very much while this is not the case in complicated “Eltezam” and the poems of Farrukhi‟s poems”, or that “Souzani‟s Qatran contain Leonine verse, pun and Diwan contains numerous Persian words and double rhymes. Also, he acknowledges the lexical singular words which may be of presence of Leonine verse and pun in native accent. So, it is considered as one of Mohammad Ghaznavi's poetry or sees no the sources on Persian culture” (ibid: 316). other poet better than Saba Kashani in He mentions that “Anvari‟s poems are reviving eloquent poems, especially in Arabic-like as if someone uses Persian parallel pun. Like Auffi, Hedayat mentions singular words in an Arabic format and the general term eloquence in syntactic part. contain Arabic sentences. These cause the Forouzanfar in his Sokhan va loss of balance between language and Sokhanvaran maintians that “some verses lexicon” (ibid: 334). He also states that with Tagharob meter are attributed to “Asadi is one of the proficient lexicologists Rudaki, which is likely to be the remains of who has carefully read most of the Diwans one of his mathnavies" (Foruzanfar, written in the past decades and has extracted 1971:19). He believes that Daghighi‟s rare words and sometimes uses them in his “Goshtasb Nameh” is the first Mathnavi poems. This is why Garshasb Nameh with Tagharob meter” (ibid: 29). contains a lot of Persian words which are not Concerning the rhythm, he writes that usually used and are not often seen even in Unsury‟s “Shadbahr” has skillfully written poems written in the late fifth and sixth with Khafif meter and fifty seven verses of centuries. Therefore, Garshasb Nameh can the same rhythm attributed to Unsury has be considered as a brief Persian dictionary been mentioned in Asadi‟s Loghat-e-Fors that uses and defines the lexicons” (ibid: (ibid.: 116). Forouzanfar writes that “Nasir 440-441). About Khaqani, he says that “his Khusraw has written a delicate poem out of main superiority is seen through accurate meanings with the most difficult combination of singular words (ibid: 617). meters” (ibid: 155). He writes that in some In the syntactic part, he points to the of Khaghani‟s sonnets “rhythms are not eloquence of poets like Firdowsi, Abu Taher
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019 Page | 19
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019
Khatouni, Khaqani, Khosravi Sarakhsi, penetration of mysticism in the poems of Masoud Sa‟d Salman and Asadi, and goes Shiite poets and other poets since the sixth further and mentions the details about a century. Additionally, Dowlatshah refers to number of them. For example, he writes that a number of literary subjects such as the relating and separating conducted by praise of the kings in the poems of Khosravi Sarakhsi‟s poem on reproaching Mohammad Katebi, Arefi Heravi and the world “is unrivaled in Persian poetry and Muzaffar Heravi, and Facetiousness and if one claims that there is no other poem humor in the poems of Barandagh Bukhari. such this Persian poems in eloquent relating At the intellectual level, many poets started and separating, appropriateness of singular to praise the religious Imams due to growth words, and consistency of style, he will be of Shiite religion in that time, whose names right” (ibid.: 37). Similarly, he says that have been recorded in the biography written “everyone who is eager, open-minded and by Sam Mirza. They include Mohammad skillful in rhetoric would accept that Jarjani, Khorasan Khani, Mulana Hairati, Firdausi is unrivaled in creating new styles Mulana Ghazi Alaei, Mulana Heirani, Ataei and using delicate word combinations, Sabzevari, Mulana Sultan Mohammad, and relations and separations” (ibid: 46-47). He Darvish Abdi Neishabouri. Sam Mirza sees writes that Farrukhi‟s poems “are simple and Maktabi Shirazi‟s poems as cheering and natural and contain no repetition and knows the poems of Kaseb full of pain and obscurity” (ibid: 124) and Nasir Khosraw‟s sorrow. Also, he considers the poems of “poems sometimes contain paradox and Aziz Bia‟ and Mulana Herzi romantic and obscurity” (ibid: 155). Similarly, he reports that Khezri‟s poems describe the mentions that “not one verse is obscure in food. Souzani‟s poems” (ibid: 316). He also writes At the intellectual level, the author of that Masoud Sa‟d Salman “is nearly the best “Mozakker-e Ahbab” refers to Amir at organization and harmony of sentences. Nizamuddin Abulbaqa who has written an The most accurate connections among ode on describing and praising Imam Reza complicated sentences show his knowledge” (peace be upon him). Nesari Bukhari writes (ibid: 208). Finally, he believes that Mu‟zzi that Vahiduddin Sheikh Mirjan “speaks on “uses many weak arguments and statements Sufism in details” (Nesari Bukhari: 230). He and redundant words and sentences which also refers to Mulana Fakhr al-Din ali Vaez, sometimes disturb the meaning” (ibid: 231). who praises the spiritual lineage of Sufi 2.2 Intellectual Level masters (Naqshbandiyyah) and Mir Divaneh, Aufi does not consider the poets‟ who “has written famous verses praising intellectual level. At the intellectual level, Nizam al-Din Khwaja Muhammad” (ibid.: Dowlatshah refers to the matters like the 237). attributes of The Prophet and Imams. For At the intellectual level, Amin Ahmad example, he writes that Hasan Kashi “is one Razi refers to the poets who have written of the panegyrists of Ali ibn Abi Talib ... poems on describing and praising Imams. [and] his odes are well-known in describing Among them, one can mention Ghazi attributes” (Dowlatshah: 297- 296). Shahabuddin Mahmoud, Kasaei, Sheikh Similarly, he writes that “Lotfullah Azari, Mulana Hassan, Mulana Ali Goli, Neishabouri has eloquent odes on the Rafiuddin Abdulaziz Lonbani, Mulana attributes of The Prophet and Imams” (ibid: Zamiri, and Mulana Nizam. Also, Mulana 319). He has the same opinion on the poems Jalaluddin Mohammad Davani, Mulana of Mohammad Katebi, Kamaluddin Qiyath Hairati, Ibn-e Hesam, and Mulana al-Farsi, Hassan Salimi and Ibn-e Hesam. In Kamaluddin Hassan have written some addition, Dowlatshah addresses the topics of poems on praising Amir al-Momenin Ali romantic and mystical poems. For example, (peace be upon him), and Mulana Sultan he believes that Owhadi Maraghai “writes Mohammad Sedghi on praising Imam Reza pleasing and delicate romantic and mystical (peace be upon him). The next topic is sonnets” (ibid.: 212), or that Fakhr al-Din Sufism on which poets like Nazari, Mulana Iraqi “writes passionate mystical poems” Hossein, Hossein ibn Hassan Hosseini, and (ibid.: 215). Dowlatshah has the same idea Iraqi have written some poems. about Esmat Bukhari‟s and Kamal Azar Bigdeli introduces Hairati, Khujandi's poems. He believes that the Katebi, and Janabad as the poets praising words of Attar and Molawi are about the Imams, or writes that “Forouqi has many unknown matters and the words of Hafiz are odes on praising Imams” (Bigdeli: 157), full of the facts and teachings. These issues “Mulana Nizam has some odes on praising reflect the growth of Shiite religion and Imam” (ibid.), and Qavasi “has written a
Cite this article as: Haidary, H. & Taghizadeh, R. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(1). 17-24. Page | 20
Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers.. Hassan Haidary & Reza Taghizadeh
hundred thousand verses on praising Imams” the story of Vis and Ramin” (ibid: 364). (ibid: 268). Also, he writes that Shah Qasim About Asadi, he declares that “most of his Anvar “has written many poems by the way poems are influenced by Arabic and of mystics” (ibid: 29). mathematical sciences and divine Khan-e Arezu considers the poems of philosophy” (ibid: 441). About Anvari's poets like Ali and Aqel as witty and poems, he writes that “the spirit of exuberant. Azad Bilgrami writes that philosophy and mathematics is completely Lotfullah Neishabouri “had Sufi manners" evident in his poems” (ibid: 336). (Azad Bilgrami: 585). He also names Kashi Furthermore, he mentions that “Azraqi‟s and Amir Nizam al-Din Astarabadi as the poems are not without scientific meanings, poets praising Ahl al-Bayt. especially mathematics” (ibid: 203). Finally, Hedayat in his “Majma-ul-Fosaha” he sees Sufi ideas and moral verses in writes that Kasaei Marvazi “has been a Khaqani Shervani‟s poems. panegyrist of Ahl al-Bayt” (Hedayat: 1134) 2.3 Literary Level or „”Shabahang Razi was a panegyrist of Since the seventh century is the Imams” (ibid: 470). He introduces Naderi century of figurative language, poets use Kazerouni as a Shiite poet and writes about different figures of speech in their works. Nasir Khosraw's religion in details. Other Thus, the literary level is highlighted and than religion, he refers to the poets who tend appears in both poetry and prose. The use of to orient themselves to mysticism. For figures of speech in poetry and prose is example, he writes that Abed Lari has considered to be a skill. This also makes written many poems in the way of mystics. some changes in biographies. Aufi praises He sees the theme of Farrukhi‟s poems as the poets who use more figures of speech. romantic and praises Ashegh Isfahani for For example, he writes that Sheikh having beautiful gloomy sonnets with Muammari Jarjani “was the golden standard romantic themes. of figurative language” (Aufi: 10), or that Forouzanfar refers to the use of poets Badi Balkhi's poems “were figurative and of their information and knowledge in their excellent” (ibid: 22), or that Mahmoud poems. For example, he writes that Firdowsi Heravi “has been one of the pioneers in “has been knowledgeable on Islamic using figures of speech” (ibid: 110). He narrations and history and this is observed praises the poems of Fakhruddin As‟d everywhere in his Shahnameh. Also, it can Gorgani for their descriptions and similes. be believable that he knew the He considers the similes used by Azraqi argumentative sciences (philosophy and delicate and metaphors used by Fathi mathematics) as he mentions some of the Ghaznavi lovely. He also mentions divine and natural laws at the beginning of symmetry in Mohammad Alavi‟s poems. Shahnameh as well as strong arguments” About Mohammad Paizi Nasavi‟s poems, he (Forouzanfar: 48). Similarly, he writes that writes that “they are full of amphibology and “philosophical and ethical meanings are dual meanings (ibid: 345). rarely seen in Farrukhi's Diwan” (ibid: 125). At the literary level, Dowlatshah pays About Imadi, he indicates that “he has attention to the poetic devices. He writes mentioned some meanings and thoughts that Nizami “has many figurative poems” regulating the rules of wisdom in his verses” (Dowlatshah: 129), “Hassan Dehlavi‟s (ibid.: 520-519). Also, he writes that poems are not that much figurative” (ibid.: Khosravi Sarakhsi “combines philosophical 248), “Khajavi Kermani has twenty thoughts and poetic imaginations” (ibid.: thousand figurative verse” (ibid.: 251), 37), Adib Saber “shows signs of knowledge “there are few poets who observe figures of of literary techniques, Arabic poetry and speech like Lotfollah Neishabouri” (ibid.: fundamentals of mathematics and 317), and “Yahya Sibak Neishabouri has philosophy in his poems” (ibid.: 241), exaggerated in the poetic devices” (ibid.: “Nasir Khosraw only knows the poems on 417). He believes that Mozafar Heravi is wisdom and advice and those describing proficient in using simile, hyperbole, and attributes of holy people or disasters of poetic imagination, and that Amir Ali Shir Imams as praised” (ibid.: 158), “Rashid writes imaginative poems. He sees brevity Vatvat includes philosophical meanings in and verbiage in the poems of Amir Khosraw his poems” (ibid.: 324) and “Qatran includes Dehlavi. He considers Sharaf-aldin Ali philosophical meanings in his poems” (ibid.: Yazdi and Simi Neihabouri to be unique in 495). Also, he believes that “Fakhruddin riddle. At the literary level, simile and As‟d Gorgani uses a few theological and metaphor are more desirable in the ninth philosophical meanings at the beginning of century. In a few cases, knowledge of
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019 Page | 21
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019 meanings such as brevity and verbiage are some verses of Abul Faraj‟s poems in his discussed. poems [as a poetic device]”, “Beshaq has Some of the stylistic considerations of inserted some verses of Khwaja Hafiz in his biographies are based on the prevalence of a poems [as a poetic device]” and “Lotfollah figure of speech or poetic device in a Qazi was skillful in using poetic devices”. particular period. So, figures of speech are He writes that “Arafi uses so many the basis of style in this period. For example, metaphors that the reader is distracted from in biography written by Sam Mirza, riddle, the meaning and if he had not used so many which became prevalent in that period, is metaphors in his incomplete Mathnavi, considered to be a criterion of style and Khosraw va Shirin, it would have been poetry value. Sam Mirza cites over twenty considered as a good work” (Bigdeli, 358). seven poets who have used riddle in their He mentions that Sabahi has written a poems. The degree of value of the poems chronogram on the death of Sahba. In sum, written in that period is determined it is suggested that biographers in the past according to the use of riddle. Besides have also addressed observance of riddle, Sam Mirza mentions several poets moderation in the use of figures of speech. who are skillful in using poetic devices. He From their judgments, it is concluded that writes that Mir Taqiuddin “was unrivaled in excessive use of figures of speech or using poetic devices” (Sam Mirza: 35), metaphors has been inappropriate in their Taleb Gilani “is skillful in using poetic opinion. Another point is that stylistic devices” (ibid: 88) and Hafiz Ali “is skillful considerations can be extracted from critical in using poetic devices” too (ibid: 113). discussions in these biographies. For The past biographers do not go example, when it is said “if he had not used beyond mentioning the figures of speech at so many metaphors …”, it is suggested that the literary level and do not refer to the metaphor has had a special place for the philosophy of those figures of speech or poet‟s style at the literary level. their analyses. Khan-e Arezu writes that Salem “uses At the literary level, Nesari Bukhari new similes which are very eloquent” mentions two figures of speech that were (Arezu: 90). He also writes that Faqir “says prevalent in his period - chronogram and odes containing several figures of speech” riddle. For chronogram, he names Sheikh (ibid: 108) and Monir Lahouri “does not Zein, Mulana Mohammad, Mir Ali Kateb uses metaphor as he mostly uses ambiguity and some other poets. For riddle, he names and simile” (ibid.: 117). Mulana Safaei, Mulana Zadeh Lahiji, At the literary level, Azad Bilgrami Mulana Kibak, etc. He mentions no other comments that Badr Jajarmi “has written specific figures of speech and describe the many poems using rhetoric” (Azad poems through the adjectives such as Bilgrami: 194), or Faqiri Dehlavi “is the best imaginative, imaginary, or figurative. poet in rhetoric and eloquence” (ibid: 549). Amin Ahmad Razi only mentions two He knows Talib Amoli as a poet with major poetry devices in his age, riddle and delicate and pleasing imaginations and Zahir chronogram, used by poets such as Ghazi Faryabi as the master of simile. Barkeh, Khwaja Hossein, Mulana Amir Hedayat focuses on figurative poems. Hossein, Mirheidar Rafiei, and Niazi and For example, he takes the poems of Badr mentions other figures of speech in general Jajarmi, Balkhi, Razi al-Din Kheshab, Zein words. For example, he sees Eshvati as al-Din Segazi, Qavami Ganjavi, Abd ul-Rafe skillful as Sameri, or sees Mulana Lotfollah Heravi, Falaki Sharvani, Kamal Bukharai, as the best poet in using poetic devices. In and Sabai-e Kashani figurative. He praised the field of rhetoric, he only addresses the imagination used in the poems of Abul generalities. For example, he considers Barakat Beihaqi and Zahir Faryabi and Maktabi Shirazi as a poet with good mentions that Mohammad Qaznavi uses imaginations in poetry and writes that symmetry a lot. “Kami and Faqiri use many imaginative Foruzanfar, like biographers in the devices in their poems”. He also believes past, agrees that moderation in the use of that Badr Chaichi's poems “are extremely figures of speech is appropriate. At the complicated” (Razi: 468). literary level, he reprimands the poet whose Azar writes that Seyed Zulfaqar poems are excessively figurative. For “declares figurative panegyric poems and is example, he writes that “Rashid Vatvat superior compared to Qavami Ganji, Rashid writes poems full of figures of speech which Vatvat, Nizami Arouzi, Reihani Samarqandi, made them complicated, although he is and Ahli Shirazi”, “Anvari has inserted skillful in doing this” (Forouzanfar: 323).
Cite this article as: Haidary, H. & Taghizadeh, R. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(1). 17-24. Page | 22
Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers.. Hassan Haidary & Reza Taghizadeh
Moreover, he indicates that Abdolvase Among figures of speech, they have paid Jebeli “has devoted his poetic talent to the special attention to pun, Saj’ and use of figures of speech. For this reason, his palindrome. In the lexical part, they have verses are loaded with parallel phrases, studied the use of Old Persian words and contrast, separated word combinations, Arabic words. In the syntactic part, except ambiguity, and description and have lost the author of Sokhan va Sokhanvaran, who their actual beauty” (ibid: 309). About explicitly addresses eloquence and its Qatran, he writes that “his ability in poetry is details, the other biographers only mention proven through his figurative odes in his the term eloquence and do not go to details. Diwan, some of which are very Generally, eloquence and rhetoric have been famous”(ibid.: 494). About Asdi, he believes interpreted as explicitly as verbal ability, that “most of his verses have several figures verbal knowledge, good speech, language of speech and this has made a part of his proficiency, and the like in ancient Persian verses ineloquent (ibid: 440). He also works. Usually the poets saw eloquence as mentions that “although Khaqani does not proficiency in speech and rhetoric as fluency adhere to figures of speech as much as his in speech. At the intellectual level, tendency own counterparts and does not see using for writing religious poems is mentioned, them as a criterion for superiority for poets, which depends on the dominant religion in he uses them” (ibid: 619). the age of the poets. For the first time, Foruzanfar‟s stylistic Forouzanfar distinctively introduces the considerations are hidden in his critical intellectual level to stylistic considerations, considerations. In rhetoric, he refers to the points to signs of poets‟ information and poems of Kasaei Marvazi who is knowledge in their poems and refers to distinguished by the elegance and accuracy poems containing Sufi ideas. At the literary of his similes from others and Farrukhi's level, only the general words “figurative” similes are less than his. Furthermore, he and “poetic devices or figures of speech” are acknowledges that Firdowsi is unrivaled in mentioned before the Safavid period, while appropriate use of similes and metaphors the type of figures of speech used by the and observance of situational requirements. poets and their use of rhetoric begin to In addition, he sees similes and ironies in appear in subsequent biographies. Presence some parts of Asiruddin Akhsikati contrary of metaphors and similes was the basic to the meaning and inappropriate, and states criterion for evaluating the poems. In that the bases of Manouchehri‟s poems are general, Badiozzaman Forouzanfar‟s similes, comparisons, and analogies. He biography has more comprehensively pinpoints that Manouchehri's similes are addressed the poets‟ styles than other extremely accurate and delicate, but biographies. This study showed that the sometimes sees some of them inappropriate analyzed biographies – since the 7th century and abnormal. Similarly, he writes that – have stylistic features more or less. Asadi's poems are full of new similes and Although the term stylistics was not tropes and figures of speech in general. common in old ages, its realization could be About Asadi, he writes that “metaphors are observed in all of the biographies. It can be present in most of his verses and odes as if argued that as it comes to the recent times, he defines rhetoric as tropes and ironies. biographers address the issues of stylistics Thus, he has based his poems on the best more specifically and accurately. Therefore, type of trop, which is metaphor, and has it might be unfair not to consider the old suffered to use some inappropriate and biographers and take them merely as critics. unpleasant metaphors in his poems” (ibid: References 519). Similarly, he finds some strange Azar Bigdeli, L. B. (1958). Atashkadeh similes in “Baharieh” odes of Nasir (Corrected by Seyed Jafar Shahidi). Khosraw and new and delicate ironies and Iran: Book Publishing Institute. similes in the poems written by Falaki. Azad Bilgrami, Gh. A. (2011). Khizanah-i- Finally, he knows Khaqani at the same rank Amirah (Corrected by Naser as the most prominent Iranian poets due to Nikoubakht and Shakil Aslam). new and abundant similes in his poems. Humanities and Cultural Studies 3. Conclusion Research Center. At the linguistic level and in the Bahar, M. T. (1977). Stylistics or the History phonological part, biographers have mostly of Persian Prose Development. studied the rhythm and meter of the poems Tehran: Amir Kabir Publication. and have addressed Eltezam in difficult Radifs and defects in rhyme in some cases.
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019 Page | 23
International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies (www.eltsjournal.org) ISSN:2308-5460 Volume: 07 Issue: 01 January-March, 2019
Khan-e Arezu, S. A. (2006). Majma al- Nafayes. Iran: Cultural Works Association Publication. Dowlatshah Samarghandi. (2003). Tazkirat ul-Shoara. Corrected by Edward Brown. Tehran: Asatir Publication. Razi, A. A. (2010) Haft Eghlim (Corrected by Seyed Mohammadreza Taheri). Iran: Soroush Publication. Safavi, S. M. (2005). Tohfe-ye Sami (Corrected by Roknoddin Homayoon Farrokh). Iran: Asatir Publication. Shamisa. (2014) General Stylistics. Tehran: Mitra Publication. Shamisa. (2000). Semantics. Tehran: Mitra Publication. Aufi, M. (1985). Lubab ul-Albab (Corrected by Edward Brown). Iran: Fakhre Razi. Forouzanfar, B. (1772). Sokhan va Sokhanvaran. Tehran: Kharazmi Publication. Gholamrazaei, M. (1997). Research Methodology and Guide to Literary References. Tehran: Jami Publication. Fotouhi, M. (2006). Literary Criticism in Indian Biographies. Iran: Sokhan Publication. Golchin Ma'ani, A. (1785). History of Persian biographies. Iran: Sanai Library Publication. Nesari Bukhari, H. (1998). Mozakker-e Ahbab (Corrected by Najib Mayel Haravi). Iran: Markaz Publication. Naghavi, S. A. (1663). Persian Biographies in India and Pakistan. Tehran: Scientific Press Institute. Hedayat, R. K. (1960). Majma-ul-Fosaha (Corrected by Mazaher Mosaffa). Iran: Amir Kabir Publication.
Cite this article as: Haidary, H. & Taghizadeh, R. (2019). Stylistic Analysis of Ancient Iranian Biographers. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(1). 17-24. Page | 24