A Dramatic Analysis of Nima Yushij’s Poetry with a Focus on Character

Abstract

The term drama derives from Greek and refers to an action or deed performed on stage. Lexically, it means performance, while technically it denotes a play or a genre of film. As a literary genre, drama is founded on conflict, dialogue, characterization, and performance. One of the principal elements of dramatic poetry is the representation of characters and the manner in which they are characterized. The present study examines and explains the concept of character dramatization in the poetry of Nima Yushij. The poems Afsaneh, The Tale of the Pale, Cold Blood, The Night Watchman’s Work, Molla Hassan’s Feast, The House of Seri Vili, and Maneli constituted the corpus of the study. The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach. Character dramatization in Nima’s poetry is not merely an expressive technique; rather, it constitutes the ontological foundation of his poetic art. He elevated poetry from passive expression to the active enactment of a mental drama in which character carries the principal action and conflict. By employing this technique, Nima Yushij transformed the concept of character in Persian poetry. He moved beyond the poetic “I,” whose function was merely to express emotions, and developed a dramatic protagonist who continually defines both the self and the surrounding world through encounters with reality and imagination. This innovative method established the foundations of contemporary Iranian narrative and psychological poetry. In his poems, Nima frequently portrays both internal and external conflicts. These conflicts generally arise between human beings and nature, the individual and society, or ideals and realities. He employs dramatic dialogue and monologue to articulate the emotions and perspectives of his poetic characters. Rather than relying exclusively on direct dialogue, he uses the language of characters or the narrator to recount events and convey emotions. By creating a poetic dialogue between mind and imagination, as well as between the internal and external worlds, he introduced a new dimension into Persian poetry—one in which character possesses not only a voice but also the capacity for action and reaction.