A Stylistic Analysis of Selected Poem by Saib Tabrizi: Foregrounding, Diction, Figurative Language and Symbolism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63822/z80xfj59Keywords:
Saib Tabrizi, Stylistics, Persian Poetry, Safavid Dynasty, Geoffrey LeechAbstract
Safavid Dynasty (1501–1736) marked a vibrant era for Persian poetry, most notably through the rise of Sabk-e Hindi (the Indian Style)—a movement celebrated for its complex symbolism, fresh imagery, and philosophical depth. At the forefront of this shift was Saib Tabrizi, whose unique voice left a lasting mark on Persian literature. While existing scholarship frequently centers on the romantic and mystical dimensions of his work, his specific stylistic techniques remain relatively understudied. To bridge this gap, this study applies Geoffrey Leech’s stylistic framework to analyze two of Tabrizi's poems, translated by Rebecca Ruth Gould and Kayvan Tahmasebian. Employing a qualitative, descriptive approach rooted in textual analysis, this paper examines how Tabrizi utilizes diction, figurative language, and symbolism to shape thematic meaning. Supplemented by an array of scholarly literature on Persian stylistics, this research aims to enrich the broader field of Persian poetic analysis while offering fresh insights into Tabrizi's literary craftsmanship.
References
Leech, Geoffrey N. (1969). A linguistic guide to English poetry. London, England: Longman.
Milani, Abbas. (n.d.). Saeb Tabrizi. In Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/saeb-tabrizi
South Asian arts: Islamic literatures (11th–19th century). (n.d.). Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://www.britannica.com/art/South-Asian-arts/Islamic-literatures-11th-19th-century
Saeb Tabrizi. (2021). Two Poems by Saeb Tabrizi. Lunch Ticket. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://lunchticket.org/two-poems-by-saeb-tabrizi/
Shah Ismail I. (n.d.). The Poetry of Shah Isma’il I. Scribd. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://id.scribd.com/document/88507413/The-Poetry-of-Shah-Isma-Il-I
Saeb Tabrizi. (2021). Untitled Poem. The Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://aaww.org/untitled-poem-saeb-tabrizi/
Imam Reza International University. (2023). Love in the Poetry of Saeb Tabrizi: An Analysis of the Dichotomy of Control. Iranian Journal of … Retrieved June 26, 2026, from https://ijs.imamreza.ac.ir/article_193879_en.html
Shahnazari, K., Ayyoubzadeh, S. M., Fazli, M., et al. (2025). Modeling Symbolic Families in Persian Poetry: A Network-Based Analysis of Historical Change. arXiv. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
Farridnejad, Shervin. (2021). Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires. Bibliographia Iranica. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.biblioiranica.info/safavid-persia-in-the-age-of-empires/
Ashraf, R. (2021). The Symbolism in Persian Mystic Poetry: A Brief Historical Overview. Al-Qamar, 4(1), 115–124. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://www.alqamarjournal.com/index.php/alqamar/article/view/1047
Losensky, P. (2024). The master’s slap: Bodies, books, and variations on an image by Ṣā’ib Tabrīzī. Middle Eastern Literatures. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475262X.2024.2433806
Adli, N., & Amani, R. (2021). Analyzing the Factors of Theme Creation by Calligraphy Terms in Saeb Tabrizi’s Poem. Literary Text Research, 24(83). Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.22054/LTR.2019.38339.2517
Alhaqbani, N. (2024). A stylistic analysis of the foregrounded deviation in the modern Saudi poetry with a particular emphasis on AlYoucif ’selected poem. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 5(2), 142–155. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.58256/gngjyy32
Özyurt, G. M. (2023). Old Age and Greed in Ṣāʾib Tabrīzī’s Ghazals. Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları, (28), 392–411. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.30767/diledeara.1207093
Nørgaard, N., Busse, B., & Montoro, R. (2018). Key Terms in Stylistics. Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/key-terms-in-stylistics-9781350069879/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Erina Aulia Zahra, R. Myrna Nur Sakinah (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
