The Study of Optimism and Hope in Bahar’s Odes Based on Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is one of the new branches of psychology. This science has three fundamental principles: 1) the study of positive emotions, 2) the study of positive traits, and 3) the study of positive institutions. Martin Seligman, the founder of this theory, believes that a purposeful and meaningful life relies on six positive characteristics of wisdom, courage, altruism, justice, moderation, sublimity, and positive emotions and in three paths of satisfaction, pride, and peace of the past, long-lasting happiness, enthusiasm, and enjoyment from the present, and optimism, hope, and trust in the future. This study examined the poems of Malek osh-Sho'arā Bahār in descriptive, documentary, analytical, and quantitative evaluation manners and in regards to the element of optimism and hope from the positive psychological perspective. By extracting and examining the evidences from one hundred poems of Divan-e Bahār, we discovered that 83 of them have positive themes, half of which are devoted to optimism and hope with a higher frequency than despair and disappointment. Meantime, the poet has referred to the subject of complaint and sorrow in only seven poems. Despite all personal and social agonies and pains, Bahār is a positive thinking, self-flourishing, and optimistic poet. He is another example of the great men in Persian culture and literature. He has written and composed poetry to improve the environment and create a better and happier society. His craft and mission many years ago are an instance of new science that claims to provide new strategies for the better living of human beings.