Analysis of Narrative Structure of Attar's Poetic Works (Elahi-nameh, Mantiq al-Tayr, and Musibat-nameh)

Structuralism extends an inclusive perspective in analysis of texts during which all intratextual components are linked to one another and the function of each component depends on the system. Due to its cause and effect basis, coherence and high capacity in structural analysis, narration has always drawn the attention of many narratologists. This paper attempts to study the narrative structure of three Elahi-nameh, Mantiq al-Tayr, and Musibat-nameh poetic works which have similar narrative forms, using the viewpoints of structuralistnarratologists and a descriptive-analytic method. The agreements and rules governing Attar’s narrations are discovered and introduced. This study shows that “journey” is he central and cohesive element of the poetry works in the formal structure of the narration. Thus, the functions and actions are processed within the framework of this element. By adjusting this element in the mystic concept of the poetic works, it is revealed that the presence of mysticism and therefore the concept of “becoming” have remarkably affected the structure of the narration of the poems. The narrative structure of the poems is a layered one in which the linguistic and formal features of the narration has a dialectic relation with allegorical features. This has given a mental and internal aspect to the narration.