Opposition of Tradition (Myth, Religion and Ancient History) and Modernism in the Thoughts and Works of Malek-o-Sho’arā-ye Bahār

Abstract

Amongst the poets of constitution era one can hardly find a poet like Malek-o-sho’arā-ye Bahār who deals with themes which contain both old and new aspects. He is one of the last ode composers, traditionalists, and celebrated poets who enjoy a multifaceted individuality. Not only is he a skilled and illustrious statesman, but he is also a liberal and modernist poet. Bahār honors the past history of Iran. He employs allusions and references to old myths and historical stories almost in all his poems. He not only is a moderate poet and modern statesman who has deeply digested the emergence and call of modernism, but also is one of the forerunners and advocates of reformation and modernism in the community of his time. In this regard, based on the triple approaches of myth, religion, and history on the one hand, and modernism on the other, this study attempts to examine the styles and dimensions of these two opposing approaches in the works of Bahar, who has not stopped in the past, but has experienced and understood the importance of modernity properly.

Keywords

• myth
• modernity
• tradition
• modernism
• malek-o-sho’arā-ye bahār