M. Reisner

Tawhid in Classical Persian Poetry: Between Meaning and Structure

Key words: traditional Persian poetics, New-Persian poetry, verbal and graphic interpretation of tawhid

Abstract: As a special theoretic category of the traditional Persian poetics tawhid appeared very late, only in 9/15th century. The formation of this poetic theme in the New-Persian poetry had the direct connection with the development of Islamic culture in Iran and represented new principles in the construction of the picture of the Universe, and the concept of strict monotheism that was the main part of the new ideology. This process is quite visible in the early epic poetry (the end of 4/10th — beginning of 5/11th century), when the canon of new narrative genres was at the stage of formation. Both verbal and graphic interpretation of tawhid serve as opening gate to the epic stories and lyric poems collected and illustrated in the beautiful Persian manuscripts.