Annals of Japan Association for Middle East Studies
Online ISSN : 2433-1872
Print ISSN : 0913-7858
Abū al-Qāsem Lāhūtī’s Itineracy and Poetry before 1922
Naho NAKAMURA
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2019 Volume 35 Issue 1 Pages 1-42

Details
Abstract

Abū al-Qāsem Lāhūtī (1887-1957) is known as a progressive nationalist poet of early 20th-century Iran. He is also famous as a major of the Iranian Gendarmerie who led the insurrection at Tabriz in 1922, and as a major contributor to Tajik literature after 1924.

This study examines the transition in Lāhūtī’s poetical language before 1922. Though his militant nationalistic tendencies can be observed in most of his poems, his expression varies. In analyzing the changing feature of his poems, this study portrays the different stages of Lāhūtī’s life, and reveals the relation between his poetic expression and the socio-political circumstances under which his poems appeared.

From the viewpoint of poetic language, Lāhūtī was well conscious of the effect that his vivid and realistic expressions would have on his contemporary comrades, and that his traditional allegories would conceal their political meaning from the censoring authorities. It explains why the poems that he composed in Istanbul differ from his earlier, or later, more realistic works.

Another important feature of his poems is the element of struggle and conflict. One of his characteristic techniques is “monāzere,” a debating form of Arabic-Persian poetry. He often uses natural, colloquial language in other poems as well, which reinforces the realistic, vivid feature of his poetic expression.

Content from these authors
© 2019 Japan Association for Middle East Studies (JAMES)
Next article
feedback
Top