Stages of Development and Chaharacteristics of Mehdi Akhavan Sales’s Poetry

Being one of the renowned names of modern Iranian poetry, Mehdi Akhavan Sales (1928-1990) is a poet who successfully wrote poems in both classic and Nimaic styles. Getting acquainted with poetry in the traditionalist literary circles of Khorasan, Sales was seen as a beacon of hope for the revival of classical verse and thus he received the nom de plume “Omid” meaning “hope”. In his first poetry collection named Arghanoon (1951), he remained loyal to the classical forms, only to gradually embrace the “New Poetry” in his later works and eventually become one of the leading proponents of the poetry school founded by Nima Yooshij. In his collection named Zemestan (1956) Omid presented the best samples of symbolism in modern Iranian poetry. In his following poetry books, Akhar-e Shahnameh (1959) and Az In Avesta (1965) he further concentrated on issues such as the futility of hopes for social change, the despair of intellectuals and the nostalgia for the ancient Iranian civilization. Later poems of Mehdi Akhavan Sales were not appreciated as much as his earlier works. However, in his last poetry collection, Ay Kohan Boom O Bar Tora Doost Daram (1989) he once more became the center stage of poetry by returning to classical forms. The poetry of Sales was always full of social and political themes but his poems are valuable beyond being vessels of political messages. His juxtaposition of hope with despair, flawless use of the language of Sakh-e Khorasani together with modern Persian and the masterful inclusing of Iranian mythology in his verses have made the poetry of Mehdi Akhavan Sales multifaceted and unique.

Keywords

Mahdi Akhavan Sales, Persian Literature, Iranian Literature, Persian Poetry, Iranian Poetry.