A Comparative Study of Sanai’s Sonnets through the Poetic Principles of Vasukht Style of Poetry

The Vasukht style of poetry includes literarily simple and plain poems in which the return of the beloved is the main motif. The research questions of the present studies are: In his sonnets, has Sanai been influenced by the poetic principles of Vasukht style of poetry? If the answer of the first question is proved to be affirmative, to what extent, have his sonnets abided by these poetic principles? The study believes that as a poet of the 12th century CE, Sanai has been heavily influenced by Vasukht style of poetry. Through its descriptive-analytical framework, the study proves that in various sonnets, Sanai was influenced by Vasukht style of poetry; the simple poetic style which shows both the loss of the earthly beloved and promotes the achievement of the transcendental love/beloved through Qalandariyya mystic lifestyle. Through such chiasmastic and structural relation between the loss of the earthly beloved and the achievement of the transcendental love/beloved, the Vasukht poetic motif is materialized in Sanai’s sonnets.