Epistemological and Literary Bases in Sanai's Paradoxes

Paradox is not only a literary rhetorical device or a poetic image، but also a logical، philosophical and cosmological concept. It had been neglected in the rhetorical and literary works of the past due to its being regarded the same as other literary devices such as metaphor. Persian poets، especially in mystical literature and modern poetry، have used the richest paradoxical ideas in their poems. In the light of such paradoxical phrases، their poetic language has gained a permanent effect and novelty. Using paradox، the poet reconciles between contradictory and incongruent matters، and creates the impossible which is the most beautiful and wonderful image of imagination. Paradoxical ideas were obviously manifested in Sanai’s mystical poems. Therefore، the oldest examples of paradoxical ideas can be found in his works. In the present paper، the issue of paradox in Sanai’s works is studied.