Ambiguous Similes in Asir Shahrestāni's Ghazals

There are a group of poets, who have indulged in the use of strange and far-fetched similes and metaphors in the Indian style to such an extent that the meanings of their words have sometimes become close to a riddle. Hence, they are known as imaginary poets. Asir Shahrestāni is one of the followers of this style. He has been considered the founder of this style in some biographies of poets. It must be said that he has employed similes more than any other imageries to convey his desired meanings. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the current research was to investigate the effects of various similes on the ambiguity of the meanings and themes of Asir's ghazalz. Based on the findings of this study, Asir Shahrestāni uses some approaches in using similes that have a great impact on the ambiguity and complexity of his speech. Among these approaches, we could mention his skillful use of abstract elements, use of topics and images with numerous additions, and integration of the two sides of comparison with symmetries. In addition, the density of similes in the horizontal axis of his poems was effective in the perpetuality of the themes in his poetry. On the other hand, it could be said that the creation of novel similes had in many cases made the themes and subjects of his poetry outstanding and strange. Moreover, some linguistic and expressive slips could sometimes be observed in his similes.