A Bibliographic Study on the Poetic Genres of Divan Literature

Abstract

From its inception to the present day, it has maintained continuity both in academic studies and in everyday writings. This process, which began with 13th-century Persian literature, became even more widespread in later periods. Ultimately, the fact that it appears in many different fields and occupies a significant place has made a detailed examination of the subject necessary. The primary aim of this study is to present the poetic genres of Divan literature in general terms and to comprehensively evaluate the academic scholarship on this theme. The research is based on works produced between 1990 and 2024. These studies have been classified according to their types. The collected data have been categorized and evaluated under the following headings: conference papers, articles, books, theses, and encyclopedia entries. Within the poetic genres of Divan literature are the following forms: tevhid (poem on divine unity), münâcât (supplicatory poem), na‘t (poem in praise of the Prophet), mevlid (nativity poem), hilye (description of the Prophet’s virtues and appearance), methiye (panegyric / praise poem), fahriye (self-praise poem), hicviye (satirical poem), mersiye (elegy), nazire (poetic imitation/response), tehzil (parodic imitation), sâki-nâme (cupbearer poem), sûr-nâme (festival chronicle), lugat (glossary/lexicon), lügaz (riddle poem), muamma (enigmatic poem), mektup (letter), mahlasname (pen-name declaration poem), rahşiye (horse-praise poem), and hicviye (satirical poem) among others. Although these poetic forms seem to address primarily scholars and specialists of Divan literature, each has been examined and interpreted by individuals from various fields for different purposes. This may be explained as follows: Tevhid (poem on divine unity) expresses the existence and oneness of God and affirms that there is no deity other than Him; it may be written in forms such as qasida, ghazal, or qita. Münâcât (supplicatory poem) denotes entreaties and prayers addressed to God and appears in forms such as ghazals, qasidas, masnavis, muhammes, müseddes, and couplets, where invocation is the central theme. Na‘t (praise poem for the Prophet) refers to praising something or someone, particularly Prophet Muhammad, with admiration. Mevlid (nativity poem) denotes the birth of a person—most often the Prophet—along with the place and time of the birth and the ceremonies held to commemorate it. Hicviye (satirical poem), meanwhile, refers to poems or prose texts that openly or implicitly criticize individuals, society, customs, faults, or incompetence. These studies hold significance for the bibliography of poetic genres within Divan literature.