Shahriar and the Recultivation of Iranian Signs A Cultural Semiotic Reading

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research article

Author

Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi, Iran.

Abstract

This article adopts a cultural semiotic approach to examine the position of Shahriar’s Divan in relation to the Iranian semiosphere. The Divan of Shahriar ranks among Iran’s most sign‑rich texts. His interaction with the Iranian semiosphere takes two forms: (a) the use of canonical, pre‑existing signs that are already consolidated and possess cultural and identity‑marking characteristics; and (b) bringing marginal or unknown signs into the text and drawing them into Iran’s cultural semiosphere. After explaining what constitutes an Iranian sign and the semiosphere, the article analyzes the process of textualization (i.e., culturalization) of signs in the long poem Sahandiyya, demonstrating the semiotic density and Shahriar’s approach to textualizing the signs of his own time. To support its claims, the article also refers to other poems in Shahriar’s Divan. The study finds that although Shahriar has a clear advantage in textualizing the contemporary signs of his era, he remains committed to preserving the stable order of the Iranian semiosphere. He links local and national signs, transforming his Divan into a space for multicultural convergence across a long historical span and a vast geographical expanse.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Persian Language and Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 May 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 February 2026
  • Revise Date: 21 April 2026
  • Accept Date: 13 May 2026
  • Publish Date: 30 May 2026

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