Poetry of Epiphany: a Comparative Analysis of James Wright's and Sohrab Sepehri's Poems

Abstract

The poetry of James Wright, a modern figure in English literature is enriched with epiphanies and moments of deep realization within nature. Similarly, Sohrab Sepehri is an eminent figure of Persian literature that takes inspiration directly from nature and reflects epiphanic and sublime moments in this visitation. This article aims to first search for the mutual element of organic unity that is reflected in distinct ways in the epiphanic moments of the poems “Saint Judas”, “A Blessing”, and “The Journey” by James Wright and “Dang”, “Surah of Watching”, and “I am a Muslim” by Sohrab Sepehri. Then, by viewing the modernist elements of James Wright’s poetry this article defines Wright’s epiphanies as modern and Sohrab Sepehri’s as Romantic using the six criteria defined by Morris Beja and Robert Langbaum’s theories of modernist epiphanies. This article aims to depict epiphany as a powerful element in both English and Persian poetry that unveils a great deal about nature. The epiphanic modes of both poets are further viewed as to how both poetries transfer the feeling of sublime, epiphany, and organic unity through different eras and zeitgeists by implementing distinct imageries.