Ebrahim Fakouri
In comparison to other cultures, poetry and poets have a special position in Iranian culture. In many cities of Iran, streets are named after great poets such as Ferdowsi, Saadi and Hafez. The history of Persian literature is the history of Persian poetry. The foreign scholars and writers who have lived in Iran and those who are familiar with the Iranian culture and Persian literature, such as Edward Browne and Terence Ward, have been impressed with the high esteem which Iranians have for their poets. For Edward Brown the history of Persian literature is the history of Iranian thought and the poetry has been the medium for expression of philosophical and literary ideas. Terence Ward compares the position of poetry in Persian culture to the position of opera in Italian culture. One major reason for this position is that poetry, especially Shahnameh Ferdowsi, is credited for the revival of the Persian language and Persian culture throughout centuries and numerous foreign invasions.
Another reason for the importance of poetry is it’s resiliency for survival under restrictive and at times stifling political, social or religious conditions. Poetry is an art and poet s are creative artists, the language of poetry can be ambiguous and hence open to different interpretations. Poetry can flourish and survive the adverse effects of political and religious suppression better than other media for artistic and creative expressions such as music, paintings, sculpture and expressive arts. That is the reason that throughout several centuries other fine arts and literary works did not flourish the same as poetry.
While in the West a great number of artistic works were supported by the kings, nobility and wealthy patrons for writing symphonies and operas or painting portraits and engaging in other creative endeavors, in Iran poets only sporadically received such support. This support on occasion has provided the poets access to the power structure and influence on decision makers.
Additionally, Persian poetry has been used for teaching values, admonitions, encouragement, moral behavior and the way of life. It is inevitable that with such pervasive utilization of poetry undesirable uses can emerge, for example using poetry as a “fact” in support of an argument or as evidence of correctness of a position in controversial issues. In such instances, the poet is considered learned, wise and an authority on the subject. Of course, the poets are not responsible for this misuse of poetry. The educational establishment should not allow this to happen, particularly at the elementary and high school level. Another pervasive misuse of poetry, particularly in Hafez’s case, is the use of his poetry to help the indecisive reader for showing the best course of action.
In short, Persian poetry has preserved the Persian language and has intricately permeated through Iranian culture. As such it should be studied with comprehension, taught with precision and preserved with appreciation for future Persian speaking people.