The Impact of Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari’s and Khayyam's Thoughts on Their Contradictory Lifestyle; A Philosophical and Mythological Approach

Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari and Omar Khayyam are prominent poets of Arabic and Persian languages and literatures, and the intellectual similarities between these two famous poets has been the subject of much research. In the present article, the influence of philosophy, poetry and mythology on the uncommon lifestyles of Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari and Omar Khayyam has been discussed. By using analytical-comparative method, it is tried to answer the following questions: Given the many similarities between Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari and Omar Khayyam, why did they choose a completely different lifestyle?   Can it be said that this difference is the result of their different perceptions of the same intellectual origins? Attempts have also been made to examine the origins of Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari’s pessimism and Omar Khayyam’s optimism based on the views of Plato and Cassirer. The results show that despite the many similarities between the two poets, Abu al-'Ala Ma'ari’s pessimism and his unhappy lifestyle stem from his poetic identity and mythological views; while Omar Khayyam’s optimism and his happy lifestyle are rooted in his philosophical outlook.