Forugh Farrokhzad, Poet of Modern Iran: Iconic Woman and Feminine Pioneer of New Persian Poetry

by Dominic Parviz Brookshaw (Editor), Nasrin Rahimieh (Editor)

The pioneering Iranian poet and filmmaker Forugh Farrokhzad was an iconic figure in her own day and has come to represent the spirit of revolt against patriarchal and cultural norms in 1960s Iran. Four decades after her tragic death at the age of 32, Forugh Farrokhzad, Poet of Modern Iran brings her ground-breaking work into new focus. During her lifetime Farrokhzad embodied the vexed predicament of the contemporary Iranian woman, at once subjected to long-held traditional practices and influenced by newly introduced modern social sensibilities. Highlighting her literary and cinematic innovation, this volume examines the unique place Farrokhzad occupies in Iran, both among modern Persian poets in general and as an Iranian woman writer in particular. The authors also explore Farrokhzad's appeal outside Iran in the Iranian diasporic imagination and through the numerous translations of her poetry into English. It is a fitting and authoritative tribute to the work of a remarkable woman which will introduce and explain her legacy for a 21st-century audience.

Genres: Poetry, Iran

296 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2010

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always nervous when this is the first review for a book on a topic of which I know little. This collection of essays delves into Farrokhzad's work from a variety of angles: poetic influence and technique, visual storytelling, the significance of political themes, whether feminism is an applicable term or not, and a fabulous essay exploring the experience and meaning of translation. Having read only a smattering of her poems before I went in, I almost quit when I realised what a collection of experts were her, but I'm very glad I didn't. I came out understanding more about Farrokhzad than I went in, and perhaps more importantly, aware of the complexity that means there is much I can't know. And that is the mark of a very good academic book.

[Anny · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Forough Farrokhzad's self-reflective poetry and her unwillingness to hide the sensual and emotional aspect of female individuality became emblematic of a new tradition of women's writings: a tradition of women who not only reveal themselves but unveiled men in their works."

📖Forugh Farrokhzad, Poet of Modern Iran: Iconic Woman and Feminine Pioneer of New Persian Poetry, edited by Dominic Parviz Brookshaw and Nasrin Rahimieh.

"With an alien voice, utterly false,
one can cry out: I love!
In the oppression arms of a man
one can be a robust, beautiful female
skin like leather tablecloth"
— Forugh Farrokhzad, "Wind Up Doll"

I discovered the great poems of Forough Farrokhzad early this year, wasn't sure how but it was totally loved at the first line. I began to dig the internet and found some pieces of her interviews and letters that had been translated into English here and there but they are so few. I really want to read everything she wrote and learn more about her. Her poetry broke new ground and sowed the seed of women's self-expression in poetry, in love, and in life. She made me reexamine how I, as a woman, think, and the freedom to think. Thinking about my feeling, my body, sexuality, love, and life, without fear of fallacy norms or status quo. There are hidden mysterious magic in each line of her poems. Whenever I returned to her poems, those emotions stunned me. She was full of courage. There are so much to talk about her poetry, her writing, her film making and her life. And this book is so satisfying. It gave so much insights of the world of Forugh Farrokhzad.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays at the beginning, while good, tend to focus on the same points in her poetry. The essay at the end discussing how she is viewed in the Iranian diaspora is especially interesting, though.