An Analysis of Mastureh Ardalan’s Poetry with an Emphasis on Irony: A Discursive Reading

Document Type : Persian Research Article

Author

Ph.D. in Persian Language and Literature, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj Branch, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Irony is a key term used across literary criticism, philosophy, and rhetoric; it renders literary texts open to interpretation and multivocality. It is a mode of double—and at times multi—edged expression that surprises the audience. Through irony, the poet or writer may say one thing while intending another, for the concealment and subversion of the signified generate tension within the text. Ironic discourse is marked by duality and opposing meanings, which foster semantic plurality and amplify contradiction. By means of a multi-layered utterance, the poet or writer reveals a truth beyond the surface of speech to the attentive reader. The study of discourses makes it possible to grasp the multiple meanings of ironic language. Mastureh Ardalan employs this device to construct her distinctive discourse. This descriptive–analytical study, based on library research, examines the manner and extent of Mastureh’s use of various types of irony in conveying her message to the reader. The findings indicate that she draws on different forms of irony to articulate critical, romantic, and complaint-laden themes directed at her age. The type of irony with the highest frequency in her poetry is radical irony, through which she articulates her critical stance toward the society of her time.

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Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 December 2025
  • Revise Date: 23 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 04 March 2026
  • Publish Date: 04 March 2026

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