The Main Themes in the Literature of the Constitutional Movement

Abstract

Discussing the main themes and subjects recurring in the literature of the period during and immediately following the Iranian constitutional movement, the author refers to a number of well-known Iranian poets and provides, in some detail, the socio-political imperatives that led to the salient themes in some of their poetry. Beginning with the theme of "motherland," the author suggests that the new concept of Iran as a distinct national entity entered into Iranian consciousness during the latter part of the Qajar period and particularly during the constitutional movement. The Iranian awareness of the interrelated concepts of "motherland," "patriotism," and "nationalism" was partly a consequence of the increasing contact with the west and partly the result of the growing anti-colonial feelings among the Iranian intellectual and political elite. "Motherland" thus became the most prevalent theme in the poetry of this period, albeit with different connotations for different poets, all of whom shared the desire to arouse the nationalistic feelings of their compatriots. In this context, Iran's political impotence, its social and cultural decay, and its degradation in the hands of foreign powers were constantly compared to its glorious past. References to the pre-Islamic history of Iran, its epic heroes, and victorious kings and conquerors abounded in the poetry of this period. The themes of "Popular sovereignty," "democracy," "rule of law," and "freedom" also dominated the works of such poets as Aref, Eshqi, Bahar and Farrokhi. For them, according to the author, the struggle against foreign domination and control could not be successfully waged until Iran's despotic political system was replaced by democratic institutions similar to those in the Western world. The rights of Iranian women, particularly their right to education and to the abandoning of the traditional veil, were also taken up by some of the more enlightened of these poets. The necessity to acquire and adopt advanced Western scientific and technological know-how was another major theme pursued by these poets. In most cases this theme was accompanied by broad and at times satiric comparisons between Iranian and Western societies, which inevitably involved references to political and social issues.