"The Wind-Up Doll" is a poem by Forough Farrokhzad (1934 – 1967). It was translated into English in "A Rebirth: Poems" by David Martin,[1][2] accompanied by a critical essay by Farzaneh Milani.[3]
Analysis
“The Wind-Up Doll,” conveys the psychological frustrations of women in a restrictive society . This is an ode to her frequent rebellion against patriarchal and religious expectations, to which she was opposed.[4] Many of her poems feature a similar theme, depicting women as dolls to represent their objectification.[5]
In this poem, Farrokhzad expresses feelings of absurdist emptiness through mentioning the roles of women. The narration of the poem is done in such a way that it could be addressing herself, women in general, or the reader.[6] The tone of the poem is satirical and sarcastic, ending with the tragic lines:[7]
'[one] can shout without reason,
"Oh I am so happy!"'
Author's legacy
Farrokhzad is one of the most influential Persian poets. Many of her poems focused on feminism thus they have remained important and significant as the voice of women in Iran.[8]
'The Wind-up Doll' is an example of Farrokhzad's poetic obsession with societal issues and critique of tradition.[9] Due to this, Her work has made her a symbol of rebellion against the existing social standards and roles for women. Her poetry has been banned since the Islamic Revolution, however it is still sold illegally.[10] Farrokhzad remains beloved as one of the first female poets to critique inequality in her work.[11]
References
^Martin, David; Farrokhzad, Forough (1997). A Rebirth. Mazda Publications.
^Gale, Cengage Learning (8 October 2004). A Study Guide for Faroogh Farrokhzaad's "A Rebirth" (Poetry for Students). Gale. ISBN0-7876-6960-1.
^Ghanoonparvar, Mohammad R. (1986). "Reviewed Work(s): A Rebirth: Poems by Forough Farrokhzaad by Forough Farrokhzaad and David Martin: A Nightingale's Lament: Selections from the Poems and Fables of Parvin E'tesami (1907-41) by Heshmat Moayyad and A. Margaret Arent Madelung". Middle East Journal. 40 (2): 357–358. JSTOR4327334.
^Brookshaw, Dominic Parviz; Rahimieh, Nasrin (2023). Forugh Farrokhzad, Poet of Modern Iran: Iconic Woman and Feminine Pioneer of New Persian Poetry (2 ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. xiii, 87. ISBN9780755600694.
^Darznik, Jasmin (2010). ""Forough goes west: The legacy of Forough Farrokhzad in Iranian diasporic art and literature."". Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. 6 (1): 103–116. doi:10.2979/MEW.2010.6.1.103. S2CID146755540.
Contemporary Persian and Classical Persian are the same language, but writers since 1900 are classified as contemporary. At one time, Persian was a common cultural language of much of the non-Arabic Islamic world. Today it is the official language of Iran, Tajikistan and one of the two official languages of Afghanistan.
