An Archetypal Critic of a Sonnet by Rumi

Archetypal criticism is one of the modern theories in literary criticism and based on psychological criticism; mainly founded on the theories of the famous Swedish psychologist; Carl Gustav Yung. This type of criticism surveys and studies the archetypes used in a work, showing how the poet or writer’s mind has absorbed these archetypes, which are actually the outcome of mankind’s repetitive experiences and left behind in the collective unconsciousness of humankind, finally showing them symbolically.The purpose of this essay is to survey one of Rumi’s sonnets through archetypal criticism. The writer makes an attempt to explain this criticism in brief first, then show how Rumi’s conscious spirit has succeeded to ponder and penetrate deeply into the truths of universe and understand the imagery instances; using them unconsciously in his own sonnets. The archetypal content dominant in the atmosphere of this sonnet, starting with:Morde Bodam Zende shodam, Gerye Bodam, Khande shodamDolat e Eshgh Amad o man, dolat e Payande shodamis the archetype of death and rebirth. When the theory of death and rebirth is discussed, there are allusions to Bible and the Holy Quran. According to Yung, rebirth is one of the most fundamental beliefs derived from coordination between mankind and the nature’s cycle. In this sonnet, in addition to the theory of rebirth, the archetypes of wise old, hero, and other archetypal instances such as yearning and divine journey are also seen.