The Psychological Function of Colour in Khaqani's Elegies for His Son

Abstract

Khaqani is one of the most important poets in Persian literature. His artistic personality is a complex character; he has worked on various branches of art and elegy is one of the main of these branches. Khaqani has composed over sixty elegies that are considered his masterpieces. His personal elegies are the most famous and the most artistically composed Persian elegies. Seven of these elegies he wrote on the death of his son, Rashid al-Din, which show his extreme sorrow and grief. The colours have a particular psychological impact on the images of these elegies. Khaqani with three colours (red, black and yellow) has created themes and poetic images in these elegies. These three colors are not present in these elegies randomly or accidentally, but according to the new psychology his choices stem from his unconscious. The present research studies the influence of colours and their psychological function in Khaqani's personal elegies on the death of his son, Rashid al-Din.