Sufism in classical Persian poetry

Abstract

Scholars commonly define the golden age of classical Persian poetry as the tenth to the fifteenth century, ending with Abd al-Rahman Jami who wrote in almost all genres, trying to outstrip previous poets. Sufism has been, and still is, central to this poetry, and many of the poets were themselves Sufis. Their audience however has been very broad: their poetry was and is cited and recited in almost all domains of Persian culture. This chapter provides an analytic survey of the genres, poetic forms, images, metaphors and allegories they have used. Persian poetry begins with religious and ascetic genres, with representatives such as Kasa i Marvazi, whose poetry became an example for other poets. The flourishing of the ghazal as a poetic form with specific characteristics coincided with the inclusion of Sufi terms and concepts in Persian poetry from the twelfth century. In Persian poetry, Jesus is associated with a quickening breath that gives life to clay.