An Analysis of Symbolism in the Works of Attar Nishapuri (Case Study: The Symbolism of the Sun)

Symbolism is a term used to describe the conceptual and symbolic meanings of an object. It is important to consider that the symbol from the perspective of rhetorical sciences is a word, phrase, or sentence that, in addition to the apparent meaning, communicates a wide range of meanings to the reader. On the other hand, the main problem with the symbol is that the symbol is one of the forms of poetic imagination, which is in a position beyond metaphor due to the multiplicity of concepts and the wide semantic capacity that it has. In a symbol, a word, in addition to preserving its true meaning, contains one or more non-real (virtual) meanings. The purpose of this article is to study the symbol of the sun (sunshine) in the works of Attar Nishapuri, which has been done through a descriptive-analytical method. Findings of the research show that in Attar’s works, the sun has been used to convey sacred meanings and codes such as Hazrat Haqq, perfect man, description of the man and his life, unity of existence and mortality in truth, and description of prophets and soul and psyche.