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

Document Type : Persian Research 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. 

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 14 February 2025
  • Accept Date: 15 February 2025
  • Publish Date: 15 March 2025

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