Classical tradition and poetry of Molla Panah Vagif

Abstract

Vagif’s poetry has laid the foundations of realism in Azerbaijani literature, and the style of folk poetry was introduced into written literature. At the same time, from the point of view of language and style, the poet's work became a turning point in Azerbaijani poetry, and the poet gave our literature a new spirit. In a word, Vagif's work is most remembered for its innovation. Although Molla Panah enriched our poetry with his lively, fresh language, the traditions of classical poetry were reflected in the poet's work.

Thus, the use of traditional metaphors from classical genres such as ghazal, mustazad, muashshar is the initial proof of our idea. At the same time, upon careful examination of the poet's work, one can notice the mention of the names of a number of places of worship, personal names and expressions. These names include Jesus, Jacob, Musa, Khizir, Muhammad (peace be upon him), Hajar al-Aswad, Zam-Zam, etc. True, the use of such expressions in the poet's work is insignificant. But despite this, his work still attracts attention as a continuation of the classical tradition. It should be noted that the purpose of the poet's use of religious expressions and names is one of the aspects that unites him with medieval poets. Sometimes we observe that the poet uses these expressions as a means of comparison, for a more vivid expression of thought, and this feature is more pronounced in classical literature. Sometimes the poet takes his hand away from this world and turns to God, the prophet, influential religious figures and asks for help. This feature is also a tradition of the Middle Ages.

Thus, religious elements as a manifestation of the classical tradition in Vagif's poetry appear and are remembered in different ways.