Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 18، number In Volume 12، March 2026 ، issue Number 118

Examining Classical Components in Khurasani-Style Poetry (Case Study of Abu Shukour, Farokhi, Ensri, and Manouchehri)

Mahroyeh Raziei , Shervin Khamseh (Author in Charge), Ahmad Khyali Khatibi

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The later Khurasani style (4th–5th centuries AH), due to features such as order, linguistic firmness, and the dominance of rational thought, is typologically comparable to the foundational and norm-establishing period of Persian literature in relation to the universal principles of Classicism. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of correspondence and stylistic differences between four prominent poets of this period—Abu Shakur Balkhi, Farrukhi Sistani, Unsuri Balkhi, and Manuchehri Damghani—and the seven key components of Classicism (rationalism, brevity, grandeur, verisimilitude, clarity, didacticism/pleasantness, and genius).

METHODOLOGY: Using descriptive–analytical and comparative methods, this study investigates the structural and thematic manifestations of the seven classical components in the divans of the selected poets, in order to clarify how these principles are applied in the realms of wisdom poetry, panegyric, and descriptive verse.

FINDINGS: The research shows that the later Khurasani style, overall, serves as a typological equivalent of Classicism within the Persian literary tradition; however, this correspondence is realized across a dynamic spectrum rather than uniformly.

CONCLUSION: It may be said that Abu Shakur Balkhi—due to his foundational rationalism, aphoristic brevity, and explicit didacticism—is the closest representative of ideal, duty-oriented Classicism. At the opposite end, Manuchehri Damghani, by prioritizing pleasantness, imagistic complexity, lexical grandeur, and sensory verisimilitude, diverges most from the classical norms of simplicity and pure rationality, thus paving the way for later stylistic developments. Likewise, Unsuri Balkhi perfected grandeur through order and structural discipline, while Farrukhi Sistani achieved mastery in verisimilitude through his historically grounded and concrete narrative style. This diversity in the execution of classical principles illustrates the richness and robustness of this period as the central core of classical Persian literature.

Keyword
Khurasani style , Classicism , Abu Shakur Balkhi , Manuchehri Damghani , Unsuri , Farrukhi Sistani , rationalism , verisimilitude , aphoristic brevity.