The soul of the soil

Unearthing a Nation's eco‐empathy through 1200 years of Persian poetry

Bibliographic Data

ID19583243
AuthorsIsa Esfandiarpour‐Boroujeni (0000-0003-3331-7189, Vali Asr University of Rafsanjan, corresponding author), A Shahriari (0000-0001-6061-4029, Zabol University, corresponding author), Leila Kordbacheh (Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences), Zohreh Mosleh Ghahfarokhi (0000-0003-0793-0270, Soil and Water Research Department, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) Shahrekord Iran), Z Mosleh (Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research), Reyhaneh Nejadasadi (0000-0002-7023-1926, Vali Asr University of Rafsanjan), Hosnieh Shahriari (0000-0002-4972-7337, Zabol University), Fatemeh Aliabbasi (Vali Asr University of Rafsanjan), Reza Mohajer (0000-0002-9302-2406, Payame Noor University)
Year2026
Volume8
Issue6
Pages1987-2002
Publication date2026-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePeople and Nature (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2575-8314 • E-ISSN: 2575-8314
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/pan3.70351
OpenAlexW7160597382
LanguageEN
References cited39

Cultivating a profound sense of connection with the natural world, conceptualized as eco‐empathy, is increasingly recognized as a vital precursor to effective environmental stewardship. While scientific data frame ecological crises, literary traditions offer a unique archive for tracing the history of this empathetic bond. This study positions 1200 years of Persian poetry as a case study to demonstrate how humanities‐based approaches reveal the deep‐seated cultural dimensions of eco‐empathy through the evolving perception of soil. We conducted a diachronic semantic analysis of the word khāk (soil) across Persian poetry spanning the 3rd to the 14th centuries of the Solar Hijri calendar. By extracting data from the works of 49 influential poets via the Ganjoor digital library and archival sources, we identified and quantified 10 primary contextual meanings of khāk : (1) death/mourning; (2) natural body/plant growth medium; (3) humility; (4) land/ground; (5) worthless entity; (6) clay of creation; (7) expression of servitude; (8) dust; (9) collyrium (love); and (10) mortal world. This methodological approach facilitated the mapping of collective eco‐empathy by tracking how soil has been culturally encoded over time. The findings reveal that khāk is a ‘fluid cultural signifier’ mirroring the fluctuating nature of societal eco‐empathy. The predominant meaning, ‘death and mourning’, frames soil as the locus of human finitude. The parity between ‘natural body/plant growth medium’ and ‘humility’ highlights a core duality: recognizing soil's material agency alongside its ethical symbolism. Furthermore, the analysis uncovers a chronological shift in eco‐empathy, moving from traditional spiritual and cosmological orientations in early periods toward critical, social and nationalistic expressions in the modern era. Consequently, the semantic evolution of khāk establishes Persian poetry as a long‐term form of ecopoetry that archives the nation's developing eco‐empathy. The transformation of these 10 semantic domains reflects fundamental shifts in the cognitive and affective relationship between Iranians and their environment. This research validates literary analysis as a robust tool for reconstructing historical eco‐empathy, offering novel pathways for culturally attuned environmental communication. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Cultural heritage · Expression (computer science) · Mirroring · Persian · Poetry · Soul · Ecocriticism and Environmental Literature · Environmental Philosophy and Ethics · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics

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