The Reasons for Amir Khusrau Dehlavi’s Tendency toward Realism in His Sonnets

Realism has a privileged position in the Persian poetry of early tenth century SH. This style, which is an intermediate between Iraqi and Indian styles, has brought about the greatest change in the poetic themes after Iraqi style. Amir Khusrau Dehlavi was a famous Persian-speaking mystic and poet in the second half of the seventh century and early eighth century. Although he is one of the most prominent Iraqi-style poets, he must be considered as one of the leaders of realism in Iran. His sonnets are noticeable for simplicity of language and the expression of the issues between the lover and the beloved, which are the hallmarks of this branch of realism. In his sonnets, when the lover encounters his beloved’s disregard, he does not flatter her but blames and reproaches her. The specific characteristics of his sonnets include punishment and taking revenge on the cruel beloved, expression of the relationship between the lover and the beloved, abandoning the lover, punishing the beloved, describing togetherness, expressing the baseness of the beloved and the helplessness of the lover etc. The article demonstrates that the poet has understood the heartbreak caused by love, which is one of the most important elements of this style, and has mingled it with imagination to use it as a thematic element in his poetry.