An Analysis of Mehdi Akhavan-Sales’s Poem "The Eighth Feast" Based on Van Dijk’s Discourse Analysis Theory

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Zabol University, Zabol, Iran.

2 Master’s Degree Holder, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Zabol, Iran.

Abstract

This study employs Van Dijk’s critical discourse analysis approach to examine Mehdi Akhavan-Sales’s poem The Eighth Feast. Through the metaphorical representation of Rostam’s death, the poem deconstructs dominant discursive structures and critiques prevailing power relations and ideologies. Van Dijk’s theoretical framework, focusing on the interaction between language, social cognition, and the reproduction of dominance, facilitates an analysis of how dominant and resistant discourses are constructed in the text. The research method is qualitative and grounded in critical discourse analysis, investigating linguistic, rhetorical, and semiotic mechanisms to explore the processes of ideological representation and power relations. Findings of the stud indicate that Akhavan-Sales, by employing mythological intertextuality, stylistic devices, and binary oppositions, creates a multilayered poem where language functions as a tool both for reproducing and resisting ideological discourses. The poem’s characters, including Rostam, transcend narrative elements to symbolize betrayal and loyalty, challenging structures of domination. Moreover, the results show that Akhavan-Sales leverages discursive capacities to elevate the poem beyond a mere mythological narrative, transforming it into a critical text with complex ideological implications that encourage readers to reconsider social order and power relations.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics