Contemporary Persian Literature

A study of the Course of Transformation in Contemporary Persian Love poetry: From the Early Shifts in the Qajar Era to Its Development in the Ahmad-e Shamlu's Works

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Sajad Iranpour
Mohammadreza Amini

Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University, Shiraz , Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/copl.2025.51008.4234
Abstract
Love has long held a unique and indispensable place in the cultural and intellectual life of Iranians, standing as one of the most fundamental and multifaceted concepts in Persian literary history. Yet the representation of love in Persian literary tradition has never been static or timeless. On the contrary, it has continually been shaped and reshaped by the historical, social, and philosophical undercurrents of each era, giving rise to new literary configurations over time. What makes these transformations particularly significant is their gradual, process-driven nature. Adopting an analytical approach informed by the theories of Bakhtin and Saussure—and emphasizing the procedural nature of literary evolution—this study investigates the initial signs of transformation in Persian love poetry during the modern era, beginning with the Qajar period. By examining the early encounters with Western thought, it reveals how these intellectual interactions shaped contemporary love poetry and gradually culminated in the works of Ahmad Shamlu. The findings of this study indicate that Shamlu was not the initiator of this transformation but rather its continuation and culmination. Drawing on the intellectual and literary heritage of his predecessors, Shamlu crafted a form of love poetry that meaningfully departed—both in content and expression—from classical traditions as well as the works of his contemporaries. In doing so, he established a defining and influential model for contemporary Persian love poetry.

Keywords

Contemporary Persian Poetry
Transformation In contemporary Persian Love Poetry
Love Poetry in Qajar Era
Love in Contemporary Iran
Ahmad Shamlu's Love Poetry
Subjects
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