A Comparative and Analytical Study of the Image of the “Savior” in Contemporary Persian Poetry (With Emphasis on Arashe Kmangir, Morghe Amin, and Kasi ke Mesle Hichkas Nist)
Subject Areas : Research in Contemporary Iranian Literature
saeid bozorg bigdeli
1
,
sara hosseini
2
1 - Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Ph.D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
Keywords: Savior, Contemporary Persian Poetry, Siavash Kasraei, Nima Yushij, Forough Farrokhzad.,
Abstract :
A Comparative and Analytical Study of the Image
of the “Savior” in Contemporary Persian Poetry
(With Emphasis on Arashe Kmangir,
Morghe Amin, and Kasi ke Mesle Hichkas Nist)
Saeed Bozorg Bigdeli*
Sara Hosseini**
Throughout human history, dissatisfaction with the existing condition and the aspiration for a more ideal state have fostered humanity's enduring need for a redemptive figure. Across different religions and belief systems, saviors known by various names and envisioned in diverse forms are expected to emerge at different historical junctures to liberate humankind from suffering and adversity and guide it toward an ideal order. Reflecting this enduring human expectation, literary works have likewise portrayed the figure of the savior in a wide variety of forms. In contemporary Persian poetry, from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, three significant poems were composed and published: Arashe Kamangir by Siavash Kasraei, Morghe Amin by Nima Yushij, and Kasi ke Mesle Hichkas Nist by Forough Farrokhzad. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study examines these three poems from ten distinct perspectives, analyzing both their convergences and divergences. The study seeks to answer the central question of how the literary field of these poems has been shaped by political, social, cultural, and economic forces, and what characteristics each poet attributes to the savior figure.
The findings indicate that, despite differences in the poets' ideological and artistic perspectives, the three poems present, in most respects, a remarkably convergent and consistent image of the savior.
Keywords: Savior, Contemporary Persian Poetry, Siavash Kasraei, Nima Yushij, Forough Farrokhzad.
Introduction
The aspiration for a savior has been a recurring phenomenon throughout human history. Across diverse religions and belief systems, political and ideological movements, and various social strata, people have repeatedly sought the advent of a redeemer capable of delivering them from undesirable conditions. In its broadest sense, a savior may be understood as any agent capable of fulfilling an individual's aspirations and demands; conversely, the concept may also refer to an individual who realizes the collective expectations of a community. In another sense, the savior may take the form of a systematic institution or social structure that satisfies the needs of either an individual or a collective. Consequently, the desire to transcend an unfavorable reality and to construct a more desirable world extends far beyond the sphere of religious belief. The quest for a savior is therefore not confined to religious traditions or ideological doctrines; rather, it frequently manifests itself in both the personal and collective dimensions of human life, even when it bears no direct relationship to the religious or ideological convictions of those who articulate such expectations.
Discussion
The corpus selected for this study consists of three poems composed by three distinguished poets between 1951 and 1963. Each of these poems offers a distinctive representation of the figure of the savior, and examining their convergences and divergences provides valuable insight into the transformation of the concept of salvation from classical Persian literature to contemporary poetic discourse. Before undertaking such an analysis, however, it is essential to recognize that any meaningful interpretation of a work of art must take into account the historical moment of its creation. Situating an artistic work within its temporal context reveals the historical necessities and social conditions that governed its production. A literary text cannot simply be regarded as the autonomous product of an author's imagination, detached from the political, social, and cultural realities of its time. Although certain theoretical approaches such as the doctrine of art for art's sake, which attributes artistic creation exclusively to the author's individual will, or Roland Barthes' theory of the "death of the author," which argues that the author's authority ceases upon the completion of the text may be viewed as important exceptions, the dominant currents in literary and artistic theory maintain that a work of art derives much of its significance from its relationship with the historical and sociopolitical circumstances in which it was produced.
Nima Yushij composed Morghe Amin during the winter of 1951, at a historical moment that coincided with the rise of Iran's National Movement under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh and the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, which effectively curtailed British control over the country's oil resources. Although Nima initially portrays the Amen Bird as a sorrowful wanderer and depicts the homeland as a realm of oppression and injustice, the dialogues between the bird and the people reveal unmistakable signs of hope and expectation for social transformation. Iranian society at that time was marked by profound political instability and social unrest, while the conditions leading to the coup d'état of 19 August 1953 were gradually taking shape. Moreover, despite Nima's explicit denial of membership in the Tudeh Party in his Daily Notes, several prominent members of that party, including Anvar Khamei journalist and one of its founders maintained that Nima held leftist political sympathies. This interpretation is further supported by earlier poems such as The King of Victory and The Dust Beneath the Worker's Feet, whose ideological orientation clearly reflects Marxist concerns. More broadly, traces of Marxist thought can be identified throughout Nima's prose writings produced between 1921 and the end of the 1940s, as well as in the journals he selected for publishing his works. Although he never formally joined a political party, his ideological inclinations remain readily discernible in his writings. The composition of Morghe Amin during the 1950s demonstrates that these intellectual commitments continued to shape his worldview, albeit with less intensity than in the preceding decades. The poem ultimately serves as a comprehensive reflection of the suffering and anguish of a people exhausted by what the poet perceives as oppressive tyranny and searching for a new refuge capable of responding to their demand for justice and distributing the dawn of hope equally among the members of society.
Conclusion
The representation of the savior in Siavash Kasraei’s Arashe Kamangir, Nima Yushij’s Morghe Amin, and Forough Farrokhzad’s Kasi ke Mesle Hichkas Nist raises ten fundamental questions. The first concerns the nature of expectation among those awaiting the savior: is their anticipation passive or active? The second question examines whether the savior is “of the people” and belongs to their own lineage, or whether he is “above the people,” originating from a superior and elevated generation, like a king or a divine messenger.
The third question addresses whether the poem under examination narrates the definite presence of the savior or merely expresses hope and faith in his future emergence. In other words, the issue is whether the savior exists within the narrative itself or whether he is presented as a figure who will arrive in the future, with his presence being anticipated rather than experienced. The fourth question concerns the mediators of the savior’s emergence; that is, beyond the general representation of society and those awaiting salvation, who are the figures whose actions prepare the conditions necessary for the savior’s arrival?
The fifth question focuses on the nature of the interaction between the savior and those awaiting him. Does the savior engage in dialogue, interaction, or collective action with his people, or is he so exalted that his sphere of existence remains separate from theirs, and is he selected from a superior lineage to save humanity? The sixth question concerns the identity of those who await salvation: when they are referred to as “the people,” are they portrayed under the influence of the poet’s perspective as the oppressed masses and lower social classes who endure suffering and labor while those in positions of power accumulate wealth and privilege?
The seventh question relates to the conclusion of this waiting and, consequently, the ending of the poem itself. In other words, this study seeks to determine the ultimate outcome of this expectation and spiritual journey. The eighth question concerns the domains of salvation. Answering this question reveals which dimensions of the lives of the savior’s followers the political, social, cultural, economic, or ideological dimensions are expected to be transformed by his emergence.
The ninth question examines the nature of the enemies confronting the people. Are these enemies forces that have pushed back the borders of the homeland, requiring the savior to restore and expand the lost territory? Or are they those who have plundered the social and economic resources of the people? Are they individuals who have risen on the ladder of the people’s suffering and labor, or those who threaten the very existence of the homeland?
The final question concerns the nature of the savior’s appearance: does he possess a miraculous and transcendent form of emergence beyond the limits of human expectations and seek to reform all aspects of people’s lives, or is he a fighter who struggles to reclaim lost territories? In other words, the ultimate question is whether the savior is an extraordinary and invincible figure or one who sacrifices himself because he shares the very essence and physical existence of his own people.
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* Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
bozorghs@modares.ac.ir
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9633-7019
** Corresponding Author: Ph.D. Student in Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
sarahoseini1403av@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1351-7530
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