The Wind-Up Doll
"The Wind-Up Doll" is a poem by Forough Farrokhzad (1934 – 1967). It was translated into English in "A Rebirth: Poems" by David Martin,[1][2] accompanied by a critical essay by Farzaneh Milani.[3]
Analysis[edit]
“The Wind-Up Doll,” conveys the psychological frustrations of women in a restrictive society . This is an ode to her frequent rebellion against patriarchal and religious expectations, to which she was opposed.[4] Many of her poems feature a similar theme, depicting women as dolls to represent their objectification.[5]
In this poem, Farrokhzad expresses feelings of absurdist emptiness through mentioning the roles of women. The narration of the poem is done in such a way that it could be addressing herself, women in general, or the reader.[6] The tone of the poem is satirical and sarcastic, ending with the tragic lines:[7]
'[one] can shout without reason, "Oh I am so happy!"'
Author's legacy[edit]
Farrokhzad is one of the most influential Persian poets. Many of her poems focused on feminism thus they have remained important and significant as the voice of women in Iran.[8]
'The Wind-up Doll' is an example of Farrokhzad's poetic obsession with societal issues and critique of tradition.[9] Due to this, Her work has made her a symbol of rebellion against the existing social standards and roles for women. Her poetry has been banned since the Islamic Revolution, however it is still sold illegally.[10] Farrokhzad remains beloved as one of the first female poets to critique inequality in her work.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Martin, David; Farrokhzad, Forough (1997). A Rebirth. Mazda Publications.
- ^ Gale, Cengage Learning (8 October 2004). A Study Guide for Faroogh Farrokhzaad's "A Rebirth" (Poetry for Students). Gale. ISBN 0-7876-6960-1.
- ^ Ghanoonparvar, Mohammad R. (1986). "Reviewed Work(s): A Rebirth: Poems by Forough Farrokhzaad by Forough Farrokhzaad and David Martin: A Nightingale's Lament: Selections from the Poems and Fables of Parvin E'tesami (1907-41) by Heshmat Moayyad and A. Margaret Arent Madelung". Middle East Journal. 40 (2): 357–358. JSTOR 4327334.
- ^ Milani, Farzaneh (2011). Words, Not Swords: Iranian Women Writers and the Freedom of Movement. Syracuse University Press. pp. 133–134. ISBN 9780815632788. JSTOR j.ctt1j1ntp6. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Mahmoudibaha, Zeinab; Baghfalaki, Mahdi (January 2014). "Patriarchy and Female Objectification Depicted in the Poetry of Forough Farrokhzad and Kishwar Naheed" (PDF). New Academia. III (I): 5–6. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Wolpé, Sholeh; Ostriker, Alicia (2007). Sin: Selected Poems of Forugh Farrokhzad. University of Arkansas Press. p. x. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1ffjm51. ISBN 9781557289483.
- ^ Zubizarreta, John (1992). "The Woman Who Sings No, No, No: Love, Freedom, and Rebellion in the Poetry of Forugh Farrokhzad". World Literature Today. 66 (3): 425. doi:10.2307/40148358. JSTOR 40148358. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Brookshaw, Dominic Parviz; Rahimieh, Nasrin (2023). Forugh Farrokhzad, Poet of Modern Iran: Iconic Woman and Feminine Pioneer of New Persian Poetry (2 ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. xiii, 87. ISBN 9780755600694.
- ^ Mehrpouyan, Azadeh; Zakeri, Elahesadat (2023). ""Critical Feminist Discourse and Authorial Identity in Contemporary Women's Writers: Woolf, Daneshvar, and Farrokhzad."". Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature. 4 (2): 30–39. doi:10.46809/jcsll.v4i2.199. S2CID 257636121.
- ^ Darznik, Jasmin (2010). ""Forough goes west: The legacy of Forough Farrokhzad in Iranian diasporic art and literature."". Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. 6 (1): 103–116. doi:10.2979/MEW.2010.6.1.103. S2CID 146755540.
- ^ Matthew, Shaj (26 February 2014). "Poetry as Life Cycles". Guernica. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
External links[edit]
- Another website containing her poems in English
- Iran Chamber's Article on Forugh
- Farrukhzad, Forugh, a biography by Professor Iraj Bashiri, University of Minnesota
- Another Birth Forough's poem translated by A.Z. Foreman
- Terrestrial Verses Forough's poem translated by Mohammad Rajabpur
- Iranian.com audio archive of her poems, Listen to some of her poems by her own voice
- Forough Farrokhzad's Resume
- Interview with Simin Behbahani on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of Forugh Farrokhzad's death on Thursday 13 February 2007 (BBC Persian)
- Forugh Farrokhzad's poem Reborn as translated and said by Sholeh Wolpé
- "Forugh Farrokhzad, a Pioneer Female Poet from Iran". (website about her)