کتاب Academic Persian language and literature ژاله منوچهری نشر بید

Already from earliest phase of its history Persian literature presents itself as clearly defined tradition that guides as well as limits the artist in his creative work. Within this traditional pattern there are not only strict rules for prosody but also stringent prescriptions with regard to the choice of theme, images and metaphors. In spite of dramatic developments that occurred in the course of the time in the Iranian society, its artistic traditions displayed a remarkable resistance to fundamental changes, at least until the overwhelming influence of western civilization made itself felt with all force in the present century. In the preceding section we have referred to some elements out of which tradition has been built up. Ancient Iranian literary may have played a much greater role than has been thought before. Undoubtedly there has also been indirect influence from Indian and from Hellenistic culture. As a typical product of medieval Islamic culture Persian literature was synergistic. It was able to absorb these heterogeneous elements and give them a place in a new harmonious unit. This adaptability can be also be observed in other forms of Persian art. The mould in which this literary tradition was cast was, however, Arabic literature. In the 3rh/ 9th century the latter had already gone through the most dynamic stages of its history. It had developed a formal and conceptual idiosyncrasy that would determine the literary activity the Arabs for many centuries to com (see further ̔ARABIYYA. B. ARABIC LITERATUE, especially the sections I and ii). This determine also to a large extent the Persian tradition. The work of the early Persian Poets was in particular influence by the "new poetry" of the early ̔Abbāsid Period, although some Persian poets the old Bedouin Kasida and its repertoire (e.g. Manūčihrī, Mu ̒izzi). The poets of the Ḥamdānid school equally should be mentioned in this respect. In particular Al-Mutanabbī was very much admired in Iran. The nature poetry of al-Ṣanawbarī (q.v.) and the genre of prison ballad of Abū Firās al-Ḥamdānī (q.v.) also provided models for the Persian poets (cf. U.M. Daudopta, The influence of Arabic poetry on the development of Persian poetry, Bombay, 1934; Vīktūr al-Kīk, Ta ̔thīr-I farhangi Arab dar ash ̔ āri Manūčihrī-I Damghānī, Beirut, 1971). -بخشی از کتاب-