The Formalist Approach: Sonnet of Hafez

Formalism views literature primarily as a specialized use of language, and proposes a fundamental opposition between the literary (or poetical) use of language and the ordinary, practical use of language (Abrams & Harpham, 2009, p. 126). Among all kinds of literary texts, we select a poem to apply the formalistic approach on it. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, poem is a verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. Poem is the spirit of life and is comforting for everyone. All nations around the world have literature. This article was inspired by the researchers’ wish to briefly clarify the nature of poetry along with the explanation of formalist approach, its concepts, its methods of looking at literary works, its significance, and its application in literature practically a poem under the title of Qazal of Hafez.

Keywords:

poetry , formalist approach , form , figure of speech