The Necessity of Ugliness Theory in Literary Texts: a case study of one poem in Hafiz’ Divine

Ugliness, a philosophical concept, has been scrutinized throughout history from different vantage points. Some consider ugliness merely the lack of aesthetic, rejection of aesthetic, fundamental evil, valueless, and formless. At the same time, some believe that ugliness is the other side of the aesthetic coin, part of our existence that explicates new facets of our being. This study investigated the essential role of ugliness theory in literary studies within a systematic paradigm. The rhetorical and philosophical concept of beauty has been studied, and the reasons for the lack of ugliness studies in the literature have been investigated.  Furthermore, the benefits and applications of studying ugliness theory have been delineated, and it has been applied to one poem of Hafez. Applying ugliness theory to one poem revealed that ghazals (short lyric poem) of Hafez are not inconsistent and incoherent, as has been claimed by some literary critics. The study has demonstrated consistency and coherence in ghazals of Hafez which necessitates using ugliness theory in the revision studies of literary works such as Hafez’s.