Author Description
A Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-option under the Islamic Republic offers, for the first time, an original, timely examination of the pivotal role poetry plays in policy, power and political legitimacy in modern-day Iran. Through a compelling chronological and thematic framework, Shams presents fresh insights into the emerging lexicon of coercion and unrest in the modern Persian canon. Analysis of the lives and work of ten key poets traces the evolution of the Islamic Republic, from the 1979 Revolution, through to the Iran-Iraq War, the death of a leader and the rise of internal conflicts. Ancient forms jostle against didactic ideologies, exposing the complex relationship between poetry, patronage and literary production in authoritarian regimes, shedding light on a crucial area of discourse that has been hitherto overlooked.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the mechanisms through which the Islamic Republic of Iran has utilized poetry as a tool for political legitimacy and ideological control. Fatemeh Shams, a scholar of Persian literature and culture, employs a rigorous interdisciplinary framework to examine the intersection of state power and artistic expression. By analyzing the careers and output of ten prominent poets, the author demonstrates how literary production has been co-opted to serve the evolving needs of an authoritarian regime from the 1979 Revolution to the present day.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological analysis of Persian poetry spanning the 1979 Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and subsequent internal political shifts.
- A thematic examination of the lexicon of coercion and state-sponsored literary patronage.
- Biographical case studies of ten key poets operating within the Islamic Republic.
Scope Limits
- The study focuses primarily on state-sanctioned or state-influenced literary production rather than an exhaustive survey of all contemporary Persian poetry.
- It does not provide a comprehensive history of the Islamic Republic outside of its relationship with literary discourse.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and regional experts identify this text as a significant contribution to the study of modern Iranian cultural politics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the depth of the primary source research provided by the author.
Page Count:
387
Publication Date:
2021-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192602497
ISBN-13:
9780192602497
Poetry
History
Iran
Literary Criticism
Middle Eastern