1
MA Candidate of Persian Language and Literature, Shahed University
2
Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Shahed University
Abstract
Along with other dimensions of Ashura such as elegy, mysticism and teaching, epic has been able to influence Ashura poetry, so that it has nowadays become one of the most important pillars of ritual poetry. Ashura poetry, by elucidating value-laden assumptions and the artistic expression of their objectives, has taken a step towards a further understanding of the foundations of ritual poetry. In Ashura poetry, Imam Hussein (A.S.), Hazrat Abbas (A.S.), Hazrat Zeinab (A.S.) and Imam Sajjad (A.S.) are introduced as hero-prototypes because the poet, while considering the Ashura, manoeuvres on the mythical and epic aspects of these characters. The language of modern Ashura poetry is much closer to that of modern poetry, but at times it is characterized by Ferdowsi’s strong language while at other times by Saadi’s gentle language. This study, using documentary research and reference to sources, investigates the epic dimensions of modern Ashura poetry. Results show that in the classical Ashura poetry, epic was not widely attended to, while modern Ashura poets have paid more attention to it in semantic and lexical dimensions. In addition, the addition of epic elements has been among significant factors contributing to the prominence and persistence of some of modern Ashura poems.
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