Unveiling the Re-Veiled through Literary Imitation: A Selection of Poems Attributed to Ṭāhere Qorrat al-'Ayn

Throughout both modern and contemporary periods of Persian poetry, the figure of Ṭāhere Qorrat al-'Ayn (1814/17 – 1852) as a poet has been largely ignored, while some focus has been placed upon her historical role as a revolutionary woman and a key figure in the Bābi religion. Although a large part of this active disregard for her work has undoubtedly stemmed from politico-religious intolerance, it has also partially resulted from a lack of detailed information and primary sources regarding her poetry. This paper attempts to gain somewhat of a better understanding of Ṭāhere the poet by analyzing three of the works attributed to her—“Ey āšeqān, ey āšeqān šod āšekārā vajh-e ḥaqq,” “Jaḏabāt-e šowqak al-jamt be salāsel al-ǧam o’l-balā,” and “Agar be bād daham zolf-e 'anbar-āsā rā”—all of which are evident “literary imitations,” alongside the original pieces composed by Rumi, Jāmi, and Gowhar Beygom Āḍarbāyjāni, respectively. By analyzing how Ṭāhere’s works both resemble and differ from the previous poems, we can gain access to the subtleties and nuances which may help better inform us about the poetic persona of this historical figure.