Font Size: a A A

Modernism and ideology in Persian literature: A return to nature in the poetry of Nima Yushij

Posted on:1997-11-13Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:University of California, Los AngelesCandidate:Naficy, MajidFull Text:PDF
GTID:1465390014481041Subject:Literature
Abstract/Summary:
Considering the correlation between modernism and ideology in the works of the Persian poet, Nima Yushij (1895-1960), my dissertation concludes that Nima employs nature, both, as an ideological device in order to demonstrate the artificiality of classical poetic outlook and prosody, and as a source of inspiration for creating his nature poetry.;Embarking on my research, I have defined the main concepts such as ideology, utopia, modernism, discourse and nature, and then relying on a historical and analytical method, I have reviewed Nima's texts including his poems, letters, essays, and diaries, and compared them with the material that his contemporaries have written about him.;In my dissertation, it is demonstrated that in Persian poetry from the emergence of new Persian language to the Modern Era, there have been five catchwords including "wisdom," "speech," "love," "nature," and "the people," which have consecutively appeared. Then, the historical background in which Nima acquired his principle of "nature," in order to rationalize his innovation, is briefly examined.;Analyzing Nima's new prosody, it is said that he broke the quantitative length of the verse lines and the rhyme scheme out of a desire to make the artificial language of the classical poetry sound more natural and bring poetry and prose closer together. Considering the impact of nature on the imagery and messages of Nima's poems, it is discussed how he outgrew the unilinear political symbolism which appeared in his "night poems," and advanced to his nature poetry, which is open to different interpretations.;Born in the countryside, Nima always felt himself a stranger in the city; and in his poetry he longed for a return to nature.
Keywords/Search Tags:Nima, Nature, Poetry, Persian, Modernism, Ideology
Related items