Spaces and Moments of Exile: Three Poems

Extract

Poems where a specifically iranian articulation of exile is expressed range over all the traditional genres and forms of Persian literature. Here, a ghazal, the most central lyrical genre, has been selected as the vehicle for such an articulation. Traditionally, the ghazal derives much of its unity from the mono-rhyme reflected in its form, often accompanied by a unique mood depicted through diverse and variegated images. Massoud Sepand's “The Air at Home” is one such poem, where the form has been utilized to communicate the poet's feelings about his homeland. While it opens with the image of the stifling air at home, the poem quickly turns to positing love for the country as a force that limits the ability of the speaker to overcome the exilic conditions.