Iran's Contemporary Poetry Tackles Social Malaise

 

These are the words of Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh, a prominent Iranian writer and the father of the Iranian short stories. Written more than seventy years ago, these words illuminate a small part of Jamalzadeh’s sentiments about his birthplace while living abroad as an immigrant. Since that time, Iran’s social history has experienced much turbulence. Still, the people of Iran continue to suffer from one of the darkest eras of their social, political, and economic lives. Given how overpowering the current circumstances are, this part of history will undoubtedly be depicted through art and literature.

 

Like the majority of the world’s corrupt and narcissistic governments, state corruption in Iran is not limited to economic and financial fraud. People in Iran have learned that if they want to avoid misfortune, they should not challenge the interests of those in power. Iranians have repeatedly seen how those in powerful positions can easily get rid of anyone who stands in their way to acquiring profit. There are even times when innocent individuals are punished severely, falling victim to another person’s abuse of power. The extent of this problem surpasses economic boundaries to include the realm of art and literature as well as cultural and ethical aspects of society. As representations of society, literature and the arts are connected to cultural values; they are influenced by societal ethics and, in turn, help shape the culture. For that reason, artistic productions and literary works are both born out of corrupt social relations (thus displaying evidence of corruption, surrendering to corrupt authorities, and engaging in self-censorship) and point to an existing corrupt foundation. In order to find a way to publish their work and to establish a relationship with their audience, many artists get stuck in the deceitful cycle of bureaucratic affairs. At times, artists are left with no choice but to give in to corruption.

 

Thus, engaging in social criticism is not something that all poets believe in. Moreover, the many problems of a society, like the many problems of our country, are diverse and deeply rooted. For example, many of our poets and writers are more concerned with the lack of personal, political, and social freedom, as well as the absence of security, before they are concerned with the widespread corruption surrounding them. Nonetheless, in the works of many of our contemporary poets, there exists a visible criticism of the dishonesty, poverty and compromised relationships that stem from religion and misuse of power. This is particularly noticeable in the work of our younger poets.

 

In classical Persian poetry and prior to the appearance of Nima Youshij (the “Father of New Persian Poetry”), the topic of social and governmental corruption has been vaguely introduced. We can see examples of this in the poems of those who were either contemporary to Nima or who lived shortly before him, such as Bahar and Aref Ghazvini. For example, in her poem “Oh, the sufferer!” Parvin Etesami writes:

 

“An adjudicator,
who delivers judgment for bribery of any sort,

How could he be trusted
to answer to the plea of the suffering people?”

 

Social and political criticism emerges in works of artists depending on the concept of poetry in that particular time period. Throughout Iranian history, whenever the concept of poetry has grown to include social criticism, naturally, there has been an increase in portraying corrupt authorities as one of society’s major concerns.

 

In addition to advancements in the form, structure, and technique of poetry, contemporary Iranian poems have paid particular attention to political and social criticism, as noticeable in the works of many of our poets. In his poem “Sargoshadeh” (“Open Letter”) from a book entitled, Your Face Sparks Out of a Lighter, Darush Mahboudi writes:

 

“Dear esteemed Member of Parliament!

I have many stories that cannot be told to you!

Including this one

No, not this one

This is no longer the red ink of a stamp you use

This is the blood of my brothers

My fingerprints

Stamped under your name

Until four years later.

My lost brother’s fingerprint

Pour my blood

Under your name.”

 

Very few works of poetry have so overtly accused the authorities of forgetting the hardships of the people. In this poem, we learn about people’s inability to voice their true words, and the disconnect between the needs of the people and their elected representatives who step on the very people they have forgotten about.

 

In a somber and bitter assertion, Mariam Houleh, also speaks on the great disconnect between the leadership and the people, and the administration’s disregard for the fate of its citizens:

 

“Dear Leader,

How am I to trust you?

There is no resemblance between you and thermodynamics,

Your mouth is filled with lead

Black holes fall from your hips

How could you be kind to me, when

Your boys give their lives in hopes of adultery

And your girls,

Exiled to brothels of five continents…”

 

-From the poem “Toward a Single Shoe” in the book entitled Bojeye Nefrin (The Curse Booth)

 

In an environment where there is a quasi-state-run economy in place and the majority of commercial and economic operations are run by the Revolutionary Guards and other quasi-governmental institutions, only a small portion of the economy depends on private commerce which has no chance in competing with state-affiliated organizations. Here, the governing powers want the people to stay asleep. This is why, in her poem “Lullaby,” Mariam Houleh writes: “… and your humble blanket has made a good citizen out of you” (from The Company of Contemporary Leprosy and Torment).

 

Many who have lived in Iran know that it is routine for the morality police to take advantage of young women whom they arrest or to take bribes to release others. In a different poem (“In the Opium Den of Brother Islam”) from the same book, Mariam Houleh writes:

           

“…Now what do you have in store for me?

What do you plan on doing with me?

Stone me to death?

Or take me to one of the unknown

Chastity houses where I am expected to sleep under the morality officers?”

 

In response to this abuse of power that has transformed the image of “police” from someone who protects the people and promotes peace to some one who causes fear, Farid Ghadami says:

           

 “…So why should I stand on the lies of the guards?

It is the fear of fear,

That has spread throughout Tehran, like the police itself...”

 

-From the book The Lie that I tell is More Contaminated than the Air in Tehran

 

In his poem entitled “The Family of God,” Dawood Malekzadeh ridicules those connected to the authorities and criticizes their getting rich through “personal connections” – as if this poem itself is the proof of the inevitable fact that “one must have connections” to be allowed to live a good life:

 

 “Oh, joy!

I have just become a close relative to God Himself!

You cannot imagine the pleasure of it all?

For my engagement party

He sends me a certificate to relieve me from my draft duties.

While you have to search for work,

Work, itself, knocks on my door, because

I am of the family of God

Members of the local mosque in my hands,

The key to the church of all saints is in my hands, so

I can fill up the bags of Alms.

No need to agonize about earning my bread,

I am protected from above.”

 

In another poem with a similar take on the current situation in the country, he uses a beautiful metaphor for the relationship between wealth, power, and religion in contemporary Iranian society. He offers a deliberate and delicate critique of the exclusive connection between flourishing high-rises in the city and the self-proclaimed messengers of religion:

 

 “Oh, the good fortune of the towers of Tehran, for
they have become God’s neighbors.
Should an unexpected guest arrive,

They will borrow food from their good neighbor, God.”

 

-From Tehran Nameh, Vol. 2

 

Although these two pieces of poetic observations come from the same artist, it should not be assumed that the sentiments are exclusive to this poet alone. Shirin Malek Mohammadi in “This is no Tehran, This is Kufeh” says:

           

“Tell God,

Is He so small that

None of his mercy could reach our small empty bowls?

You, the faithful, with full bellies.

Go and tell your God …”

 

Mariam Houleh speaks of the true nature of corruption in the official, cultural, and economic systems in the country:

           

“This is amazing…

One can find it all here,

There are private prostitution houses,

There are corrupt political houses,

There are houses for literary pollution,

There are houses with two doors, three doors,

There are houses with one-way doors,

           

To walk even close to the toilet in your home,

Membership was required,

I had become a member.

Insane

From head to toe of the people

All insane…”

 

- From “Memoirs of a Mad Person” in the Company of Contemporary Leprosy and Torment

 

What has been introduced here are but a few examples of the attention that the younger generation of poets have given to the current social problems, including the spread of corruption and fraud at all levels of society and life in Iran. This is also evident in other forms of art, including short stories and literature. It should also be noted that expressions of overt criticism of this kind are risky and dangerous. In other words, the few critical writings that get published in Iran are the tip of an enormous iceberg of all the textual sentiments, most of which never get past the brutal blades of censorship.

 

Accusations by the government, such as displaying a “pessimistic outlook,” “demoralizing and discouraging the public,” and “moving in the path of the enemies of the Revolution” are not harmless, minor accusations. There are severe consequences to such charges. However, it does not take much effort for a writer who wishes to portray a realistic image of life in Iran to be placed at the receiving end of these insults. The current head of the Ministry of Intelligence, Moseni Ejeyee, recently announced that “it is not necessary for someone to give information to enemies to be called a traitor; it is sufficient to be accused as a traitor.” Self-censorship aside, any work that could fall in this category has no chance for publication inside Iran.

 

This is why finding examples of literary works with serious criticisms of the state and social corruption is extremely difficult in Iran. However, even these few examples should be enough to give us a clear idea of the type of sentiments shared by our young poets about Iran.