Cases of divergence between Persian and Arabic poetics: An analysis of the underlying characteristics of particularly Persian stylistic techniques addressed by Vaṭvāṭ (d.1182)

This article examines the particular literary techniques that Rashīd al-Dīn Vaṭvāṭ (d. 1182) in Ḥadāʾiq al-Siḥr fī Daqāʾiq al-Shiʿr (The Gardens of Magic in the Minutiae of Poetry) describes as having distinct characteristics in Persian literature. Vaṭvāṭ, a bilingual poet and literary scholar, possessed a profound knowledge of both Arabic and Persian stylistic traditions, manifested in his literary works in these languages. In certain chapters of The Gardens of Magic, Vaṭvāṭ highlights the specific methods employed by Persian poets in utilizing particular literary crafts. This article aims to analyze these methods and uncover their shared attributes. It commences by providing an overview of the historical and cultural contexts surrounding the composition of the earliest Persian stylistic books. Subsequently, it studies the particular approaches taken by Persian poets as highlighted by Vaṭvāṭ, elucidating the nuanced functioning of these techniques. Moreover, in a broader context, by emphasizing the diversity inherent in these two literary cultures, this article offers a more nuanced depiction of the principles of Persian literary aesthetics.