A Life in Poetry

Discussing Hāfiz, in his chapter on “Lyric Poetry” (in Persian Literature, 1988), Heshmat Moayyad defined ambiguity as “one of the main characteristics of the Hafezian style,” and one which differentiates Hāfiz's style from that of his predecessor Sa‘dī. Moayyad went on to say that it is this which lends to Hāfiz's style “a degree of sophistication...that is unparalleled in Persian poetry,” and which makes him “somewhat aloof and unreachable, with an aura of mystery around him; he is a fascinating challenge, as well as a source of aesthetic pleasure” (1988: 140). In taking up this challenge in this volume dedicated to Professor Moayyad, I will argue that one source of Hāfiz's ambiguity is the “literary” nature of his ghazals, and that an understanding of this “literariness” may aid in both appreciating his style and in unraveling some of its mysteries.

Aesthetics · Ambiguity · Art · Linguistics · Literariness · Literature · Pleasure · Poetry · Sophistication · Style (visual arts) · Islamic Studies and History · Philosophy · Psychology · Turkish Literature and Culture

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