1
Graduate of Persian Language and Literature, University of Qom
2
qom
10.22091/jls.2025.13556.1719
Abstract
This article presents a model study of the narrative technique in the poetry of Mehdi Akhavan Sales (1928–1969), whose distinctive narrative style has been recognized by critics as one of the most remarkable rhetorical and literary features of his poetic discourse. Through an analytical and interpretive reading of The Tale of the Stone City (Qesse-ye Shahr-e Sangestan), the research demonstrates how this poem serves as a representative example of Akhavan’s narrative poems in general. In this artistic work, the poet skillfully constructs multiple layers of narration—folkloric, mythological, political, and historical—and blends them seamlessly using both colloquial and elevated literary language. These intertwined narrative strands form a complex, interwoven structure reminiscent of Persian folk tales, sharing with them several common traits: recurring characters found in four selected folk stories discussed in the article, linguistic and tonal similarities, and the frequent use of motifs such as enchantment, destiny, spell, devil, and petrification.
The findings suggest that Akhavan, by employing narrative rhetoric, successfully integrates colloquial and formal registers without disrupting the coherence of the overall narrative structure. Furthermore, he redefines traditional folkloric symbols—especially the motif of doves—by transforming their conventional meanings. Within the specific poetic and emotional atmosphere of The Tale of the Stone City, these doves acquire symbolic and allegorical dimensions that enrich the poem’s thematic depth and highlight Akhavan’s innovative approach to fusing folklore, mythology, and modern poetic narrative.
karimiganjeh, E. A., & movahedi, M. (2025). Rhetorical Analysis of Narrative in the Poems of Akhavan
(Based on the Story of the City of Sangestan). Rhetoric and Grammar Studies, (), -. doi: 10.22091/jls.2025.13556.1719
MLA
ebn Ali karimiganjeh; mohammadreza movahedi. "Rhetorical Analysis of Narrative in the Poems of Akhavan
(Based on the Story of the City of Sangestan)". Rhetoric and Grammar Studies, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22091/jls.2025.13556.1719
HARVARD
karimiganjeh, E. A., movahedi, M. (2025). 'Rhetorical Analysis of Narrative in the Poems of Akhavan
(Based on the Story of the City of Sangestan)', Rhetoric and Grammar Studies, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22091/jls.2025.13556.1719
VANCOUVER
karimiganjeh, E. A., movahedi, M. Rhetorical Analysis of Narrative in the Poems of Akhavan
(Based on the Story of the City of Sangestan). Rhetoric and Grammar Studies, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22091/jls.2025.13556.1719
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