Meta-poetry in Nezami`s Makhzan Al-Asrar

Despite different definitions and interpretations, like meta-language, meta-criticism and metafiction, Meta poetry is essentially applied to a poem that is about poetry itself and the poet consciously focuses on the subject of poetry. Therefore, depending of his views, the poet explains the nature, the characteristics, and the function of poetry. Among the Persian poets, Nezami Ganjavi is one who most frequently returns to Meta poetry and the best example in this regard is his Makhzan al-Asrar. Besides focusing the main subjects of his poem (unity of God, eulogy of the prophet, moral teaching, etc.) he also deals with the subject of writing, especially writing in verse. Indeed he devotes some whole parts to such subject as the origin of his poem, the virtues of writing, and the value of eloquence. In one of his stanzas (stanza 14th with 66 distiches) one can clearly see a variety of issues, from the proper subject and function of poetry to the moral status of poets and its kinship with prophecy, and from criticism of the eulogists to the relation between poetry and magic, etc. If we include comparison in the realm of meta poetry, besides the examples  mentioned above, in the 12th stanza of his book Nezami compares Makhzan al-Asrar with Sanai’s  Hadiqa al- Haghigha, where, like every other poet who prefers his own poem, he opines that his work is superior to Sanai’s. In this article, the aim is to identify Nezami’s Meta poetry and to discuss the above issues according to the theories of the poet’s age and current literary theories and to explain the conclusion.