An Analysis of Symbolic Discourse in the Ghazals of Hossein Jannati Based on Geoffrey Leech’s Theory of Deviation

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing symbolic discourse in the ghazals of Hossein Jannati based on Geoffrey Leech’s linguistic model. The reason for selecting this poet is the remarkable presence of symbolic discourse in his ghazals, which provides a suitable ground for various types of deviation. This research was carried out using a descriptive-analytical method on forty-five of his most prominent ghazals, which contained a greater number of deviation-related components. The present study seeks to answer the following questions: What are the most important types of deviation in Hossein Jannati’s ghazals? How does semantic deviation lead to the creation of poetic symbols? What are the dominant symbols in Jannati’s ghazals? And what role do syntactic and lexical deviations play in completing the discourse? The overall research questions are centered on semantic deviation, and the findings indicate that semantic deviation is, by a considerable margin, the most frequent type of deviation in Hossein Jannati’s ghazals. This type of deviation has led to the creation of poetic symbols through four mechanisms: personification, novel metaphors, synesthesia, and binary oppositions. The dominant symbolic network is organized around the central core of “historical impasse” and represents the discourses of deadlock, violence, loss, obstacles and liberation, instability, and rigidity. Syntactic deviations, especially interrogative structures, along with lexical deviations, play a complementary role in reinforcing these discourses.