- Count View : 73
- آدرس کوتاه شده مقاله: https://bahareadab.com/article_id/1900
- کد IranDOI مقاله: IranDOI:10.irandoi.2002/bahareadab.2025 .18 .7942
volume Number : 18
number In Volume : 8
issue Number : 114
Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 18،
number In Volume 8،
،
issue Number 114
Intertextual Analysis of Rumi’s Masnavi and Sohrab Sepehri’s Hasht Ketab within Gérard Genette’s Theoretical Framework
Bent-ul-Hadi Salavati , Leila Hashemian (Author in Charge)
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Persian mystical literature, as a rich treasury of profound spiritual concepts, has consistently attracted poets and thinkers across various periods. Among these, Rumi’s Masnavi, one of the most prominent mystical works of the 13th century, has exerted a deep influence on subsequent literature. On the other hand, Sohrab Sepehri, a contemporary modernist poet, in his collection Hasht Ketab (Eight Books), blends mystical perspectives with modern aesthetics, creating a new discourse in Persian poetry. Despite evident differences in style and language between these two works, notable semantic similarities emerge in foundational mystical themes such as the unity of existence, spiritual journey, and the relationship between humans and being. This study, relying on Gérard Genette’s theory of intertextuality, aims to examine how and at what levels Sepehri has been influenced by Rumi’s Masnavi. Is this influence confined merely to thematic content, or does it also manifest in style and language? Ultimately, to what extent can Genette’s theory serve as an appropriate tool for analyzing intertextual relations between classical and modern Persian texts?
METHODOLOGY: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in Genette’s theory of intertextuality. Data were collected through a comparative study of mystical themes in both works and analyzed with a focus on three types of intertextuality: explicit, implicit, and tacit.
FINDINGS: The findings indicate that Sepehri was influenced by Rumi’s mystical concepts—such as the unity of existence, spiritual journey, and the soul’s estrangement—but this influence primarily appears as implicit and tacit intertextuality. While Rumi utilizes a concrete and didactic language, Sepehri reimagines these concepts in an abstract and poetic form within a modern framework. Moreover, Sepehri employs rhetorical devices such as hyperbole and symbolic imagery, which are less prominent in the Masnavi.
CONCLUSION: Conclusion: This study demonstrates that despite linguistic and stylistic evolutions, the Persian mystical tradition continues in contemporary Iranian poetry. Genette’s theory proves to be an effective instrument for analyzing intertextual relationships between classical and modern Persian texts, enabling the discovery of hidden connections among diverse literary works.
Keyword
Intertextuality
, Gérard Genette
, Masnavi
, Hasht Ketab
, Comparative Mysticism
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