Khaqani’s Late Style: The Mada’in Qasida

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Professor, Islamic World & Comparative Literature College of Arts & Law, University of Birmingham, England

Abstract

This article discusses Khaqani Shirvani’s poem Aivan-i Mada’in (The Mada’in Qasida), from the vantage points of literary history and the theory of ruins. The Mada’in Qasida is a product of Khaqani’s “late style” in multiple senses, including the meaning that Edward Said attached to the term when discussing Adorno and Beethoven. While offering a close reading of The Mada’in Qasida, I consider how Khaqani refashioned his poetic persona within a prophetic lineage and set forth the terms of his argument for poetry’s discursive authority. In the case of this poem, Khaqani used his late style to critique the injustice of rulers past and present.

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References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 15, Issue 36 - Serial Number 36
Special Issue
Special English Issue: Interaction Between Sciences and Philosophy
2021
Pages 384-399

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