In Search of Paradise: Gardens in Medieval French and Persian Poetry

Abstract

This article explores the idea of how poets from different cultural and religious backgrounds use ‘the garden’ as a setting and symbol in their poetry. This article differs from previously discovered resources in that it uses styles of writing to describe Nowruz by specifying where, when and how this festival is most frequently mentioned in literature—specifically poetry. Mitra starts off his discussion with the qasidahs of the poet Manuchihri; this poet always started of his qasidahs with an exordium describing Nowruz as the first day of the vernal equinox. One such example shared in the article reads: “Le Nowruz était parti de ce pays en voyage comme un Roi; en effet d’illustres monarques entreprennent des voyages” This portion of the qasidah personifies Nowruz by stating that its conquest over winter is similar to that of a king. It is this and more phrases like this in French and Persian poetry which emphasize the significance of this secular festival in that region. Nowruz is further described as a ruler owing the beautiful trees and all things natural associated with the arrival of spring. Since these poems were written in effect to please the monarch of the time—the connection of the ruler to spring/Nowruz or vica versa served as good practice for both the poet and the poem. The content of this article requires that the reader have an excellent understanding of the festival and its origins within the ancient Persian culture so that the references in the literature can be thoroughly understood and analyzed.