Modern Persian Poetry

DESCRIPTION

Iran and the Persian language have a rich poetic heritage, extending for a thousand years from the classical era of the 10th-17th centuries into the present day. The greatest influence on modern Persian poetry was Nima Yushij (1896-1959) whose revolutionary innovations in form and style still influence the poets of today, although the traditional forms -- particuarly the ghazal, ghasideh and roba'i continue to be used.

Among modern poets, however, social and political themes have been prominent and there have been many notable women poets.

Modern Persian Poetry includes 129 poems by 43 poets writing at all periods of the twentieth century. Poets translated include: Nima Youshij, Fereidoon Tavallali, Nosrat Rahmani, Fereidoon Moshiri, Nader Naderpour, Mehdi Akhavan Saless, Ahmad Shamloo, Ahmad-Reza Ahmadi, Forough Farrokhzad, Sohrab Sepehri, Mahmud Kianush, Esmail Khoi and Mohammad-Reza Shafii Kadkani.

AUTHOR

The translator is Mahmud Kianush, a well-known poet, novelist and critic. He has also contributed a long critical introduction, as well as biographies of the poets and notes on the poems.