The search for the absolute in two narratives: Attar's Speech of the Birds and Schiller's The Veiled Image at Sais

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of German Language and Literature at the University of Tehran, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Persian Literature at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Razavi-Khorassan, Iran.

Abstract

Works of world literature often emerge from common human thoughts and concerns. Needs, desires, failures, successes or anything that goes back to human nature is the main concept of literary works. Epistemological tendencies and investigations, along with other human inclinations, are considered the subject of many of these works, - especially those based on philosophy and mysticism. Attar's Speech of the Birds and Schiller's The Veiled Image of Sais are two narratives in two different cultures/languages that reflect this human need through the stages and outcomes to attaining the insightful goals. Therefore, the main goals of the present, qualitative-analytical article, in addition to the comparison of both works, include the way the content reflected in them, similarities, differences and the reasons for the in-/equality of both works. The results of this research include the following: although both mentioned poets come from different traditions and speak about different spaces, the principle and the motivation of the human search for the discovery of the absolute truth and its consequences in their stories are more or less equal. And although from the philosophical point of view the search for the secret and mystery of being has always been considered valuable and sublime, the mystics have always been in search of the truth of being (God/the true beloved) and the poets attributed to the above directions (Attar and Schiller), have reflected these efforts in their works.

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References

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Research in Contemporary World Literature
Volume 29, Issue 1
July 2024
Pages 125-149

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