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Document Details : Title: Humor in Rumi's Ghazals Author(s): SKALMOWSKI, W. Journal: Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica Volume: 30 Date: 1999 Pages: 83-96 DOI: 10.2143/OLP.30.0.583577 Abstract : Jalâl-od-din Rumi (1207-1273/4 AD) is generally regarded as the most outstanding representative of Persian Sufism and his texts are studied predominantly for the sake of their serious though enigmatically worded ‘mystical message’. Consequently, the less solemn layers of his poetry, i.e., the innumerable puns, wordplays and jokes displayed in it, are usually treated as mere embellishments of no particular importance. “Yet, Rumi had also a good sense of humour...” admits Professor Annemarie Schimmel in her monograph which thoroughly discusses the whole oeuvre of this 13th century Persian poet. This paper intends to peruse various categories of the obvious humorous devices applied by Rumi in his ghazals collected in the Divân-e Šams-e Tabriz(i) in order to show that the playfulness of these poems is one of their non-negligible traits and forms a part of the poet’s communicative strategy. To put it simply, this author’s view is that the chief purpose of Rumi’s poetry was to involve his readers in a linguistic game which tests their intelligence and ingenuity by means of verbal and semantic riddles and/or ambiguities and awards the successful ‘decipherers’ of them with the feeling of amused satisfaction. |
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