Literary Arts (Mar 2021)
Processed Syllepsis: a New Rhetorical Art in Persian Literature
Abstract
Syllepsis and the determination of its types have not been a subject in some of the earlier rhetorical books. Mirza Abootalib Fendereski, the author of the treatise Bayanolbadi’, is the first person who defined and explained it in Persian rhetoric, following the Arabic rhetoric. After him, other people have discussed how and why those arts have been used and determined the boundaries of this art. The results of the comparison between these definitions and opinions are as follows: A. Syllepsis has three sub-categories: metaphorical syllepsis (verbal and nominal), non-metaphorical syllepsis, and pronoun syllepsis; B. The use of pronouns is most usual in Arabic language and literature not in Persian; C. There may be several A and B’s (two sides of a simile) in syllepsis; D. In metaphorical syllepsis, the form has a concrete and real meaning in one of the parts of the syllepsis and is conceptually rational, abstractive compared with the other. To clarify the issue, we provided examples for each of these types of syllepsis. Metaphorical and non-metaphorical syllepsis 1- Metaphorical syllepsis A. Verb Metaphorical syllepsis کاین سگ و باز چـــــون شکارگــر است (خاقانی، 1388: 63) * عقـــل سگ‌جان هوا گرفت چـو بــاز The dog-spirit ration peaked up in the air like an eagle, because the dog and the eagle are like a hunter (Khaghani, 1388: 63) "To peak up in the air" (هوا گرفتن) has two meanings: "to go up in the air, to fly, as well as the illusion of becoming excitable and going crazy." (Barzgar Khaleghi, 1387, 1/329). Thus, the combination of "peaking up in the air" syllepsis in connection with "eagle" means to reach the peak, while in connection with "ration", it means to become mercurial and whimsical. B. Noun metaphorical syllepsis: راستی را چه بلایی است که بالاست تو را (خواجو، 1391: 155) * همچو بالات بگویم سخنی راست تو را Let me tell you the right speech that is like your straight height/ what a disaster that your height is straight. (Khajoo, 1391: 155) The word "right" (راست) is syllepsis: a. Regarding "speech", it means "true', and "factual". B. Regarding "height" (بالا، قد), it means a straight and tall height without any distortion. 2- Non-metaphorical syllepsis: نیک نامفهوم و بیش از حدّ پریشان گفته‌اند (خجندی، 1372: 120) * وصف آن زلف و دهان سوداییان تنگدل The description of that mouth and hair by the limit-hearted melancholy has been overly incomprehensible and distracted (Khojandi, 1372: 120). The word "distracted" (پریشان) in connection with "hair" means apparent and visual turmoil while in connection with "description" in the spiritual sense means anxious and distressed. The adjective "incomprehensible" can also be syllepsis in the same way and used in connection with "mouth" in the sense of the invisible and exaggerated description of the smallness of the beloved's mouth. With this introduction and searching for several Divans of the poets of equivoque, a new kind of syllepsis has been found. That new syllepsis could be considered as a subset of metaphorical and non-metaphorical ones. The specificity of such syllepsis in some examples is due to an equivoque word beside the syllepsis that increases its semantic complexity. There is another ambiguous word that increases the artistic complexity of the meaning. In other instances, different interpretations of a compound and sometimes a combination and association of its components with another equivocal word create syllepsis. Example: 3- Syllepsis of another type به که نفـــــروشند مستوری به مستان شما (حافظ، 1387: 102) * کس به دور نرگست طرفی نبست از عافیت No one in the age of Narcissus of your eyes benefited from the comfort It is better not to sell mysteriousness (being undercover) to your drunks (who are in an unconscious state of loving) (Hafiz, 1387: 102 The word "طرف" has two meanings: 1. Eyes 2. "In Persian usage [...] waistband, silver or gold strap on the waist." (Dehkhoda, 1377) Now it could be seen how the verb "to close (بستن)" changes its meaning concerning the dual meanings of the word "Tarf (طرف)". Meanings of the bit: a. No one benefited from the comfort (in the sense of wearing waistband flower) (which is an equivoque). B. No one benefited from the comfort (in the sense of as long as closing one's eyes). It could be seen that the verb "to close" has different meanings in connection with the "eye" and " Narcissus flower". The syllepsis in this verse is a kind of non-metaphorical syllepsis that seems to have been created with the combination of the syllepsis verb "to close" and the literal equivoque of the word "Tarf". The use of this type of syllepsis has increased the formalistic and rhetorical value of the verses in question.
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