F
a r z a n e h M I L A N I
When Farrokhzad
was asked in an interview to address the issue of femininity in her
poetry, she found it "quite natural that a woman, due to her physical,
psychological, and emotional characteristics, might perceive things
differently than a man. She might have a feminine vision that is different
from a man." Having said that, however, she was quick to express resentment
at being measured against a feminine rather a more universal literary
standard; "If my poetry, as you mentioned, has a certain air of femininity,
it is obviously due to my being a woman. Fortunately, I am a woman.
But if artistic standards are being evaluated, I think sex should
no longer be a consideration. It is inappropriate to even raise such
an issue.
Veils and Words
"The Emerging Voices Of Iranian Women Writers"
Farzaneh Milani page 11
The tradition
of women writers in contemporary Iran is a record of the development
of a consciousness and of an identity, within and transcending the
limits of traditional culture. It is here in her literature that the
Iranian woman finally speaks for herself and provides a fresh perspective
on her life. No longer sealed in secrecy or hidden in anonymity, she
celebrates in her literature a double victory: a hard-won dominion
over her body and her voice.
I'll come, I'll
come, I'll come
With my hair-fragrances from beneath the earth
With my eyes-darkness, intensely felt
With shrubs I've pulled from those woods beyond the wall.
I'll come, I'll come, I'll come
And the gate will be filled with love
And at the gate I'll greet once again
Those who love
And the girl waiting there, at the gate
I'll greet them all once more.
Forugh Farrokhzad,
Let Us Believe in the Dawning of a Cold Season
Veils and Words
"The Emerging Voices Of Iranian Women Writers"
Farzaneh Milani page 16
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