The Image of Imam Ali in the Poetry of Seyyed Homeyri

Prophet's poets have expressed virtues of the infallible Imams in their most beautiful mode reminding us of their legitimacy. Seyyed Homeyri is among the poets who has dedicated his poetries to Imam's family; political and ideological inclinations are manifested in his works. His literary enthusiasm led him to compose splendid and lasting odes on the greatness and ethical virtues of Imam Ali. To delineate the visage of the Imam Ali, Homeyri has described the lofty qualities of the Imam such as his piety, justice, courage, knowledge, and sacrifice. Homeyri's full conversance with the history and anecdotes of the Prophet's family along withhis proficiency in the contents of the Holy Koran have enabled him to make use of eloquent devices such as allusion, adaptation, pun and other literary elements in hispoetry. Based on a descriptive-analytical approach, the present paper studies the virtues of Imam Ali in Seyyed Homeyri's poetries and it indicates Homeyri as a true poet of the prophet's family who has responded to a call from inside. In describing the virtues of the Imam Ali, his poetry represents his strong faith in the legitimacy of the Prophet's family.