Hafiz from Two Perspectives: Goethe's Romanticism and Emerson's Transcendentalism

Goethe the German scholar and poet and Emerson the American poet and philosopher were among the literary figures that had been influential not only in the literature of their own countries but also in the world literature as well. Lots of similarities could be traced in their attitudes, yet one of the most prominent aspects shared by these two major figures had been their appraisal of Hafiz’s thought and poetry. Both of them took formative steps to introduce Hafiz’s poetry to the western literature. The present study takes the views of the comparatist S.S.Prawer and focuses on Hafiz's influence on Goethe and Emerson, on their efforts to affect Hafiz's reception in western literature and also on the way Hafiz’s thought and poetry were received and approved by the German and American literature. Thus, the impact of Hafiz’s thought and poetry upon Goethe and his enthusiasm for this Persian poet are presented first. Then, the researcher proceeds to show the way Emerson got to know Hafiz through Goethe’s guideline; finally, Goethe's and Emerson's different perspectives regarding the recognition and reception of Hafiz in western literature will be investigated. Goethe's main motivation behind imitating Hafiz was to find a pattern for composing love poems, while Emerson was in search of a thought that could, besides admiring peace and beauty, respond to the spirit of freedom-seeking, individual independence and the national identity of his contemporary society; therefore, he introduced Hafiz to the Americans in terms of his own culture and nationality. What Goethe and Emerson did led to the popularity of Hafiz not only as a poet, but as a grand scholar in the world literature.