SOAS Research Online

Abstract

A feature of the work of the eleventh century poet, Azraqi of Herat, is his use of elaborate and complex imagery. This thesis is a study of Azraqi's imagery with a view to examining his images and any allusions associated with them. A complete understanding of such features will lead to a better comprehension of the world in which the poet lived and worked. To achieve this end a number of prominent themes in Azraqi's qasa'id have been examined. In general they may be divided into those of the intellectual sphere (the picture of the universe and philosophical ideas), themes associated with the natural world (the place of minerals and precious stones, flowers and animals), and aspects of the world created by man. This last-mentioned theme is mainly concerned with the conception of the king and his many attributes as presented by the poet; however, the poet's knowledge of the physical world, some luxury items and the importance of the Islamic and Iranian traditions in his verse have also been treated. In order that this composite picture of the poet's world may be securely anchored in space and time, the biography of Azraqi is fully examined, as is the contemporary and modem attitude of critics towards his poetry and its place in the genre.