Ahmad Shamlou
Poet, writer, and journalist, a leading figure of 'she'r-e sepid' (free, unmetered verse) in modern Persian literature (1925–2000).
Read in context →At a glance
- Field
- poetry, translation, and journalism
- Form
- she'r-e sepid (free, unmetered verse)
- Key work
- the collection 'Fresh Air' (Hava-ye Tazeh)
- Scholarly work
- Ketab-e Kucheh (encyclopedia of folklore)
Biography
Ahmad Shamlou (1925–2000), writing under the pen name 'A. Bamdad,' was one of modern Iran's most influential poets, bringing free, unmetered verse — known as 'she'r-e sepid' (white poetry) or 'Shamlouvian verse' — to its height. Beginning from Nima's path, he abandoned classical meter entirely and grounded his rhythm in an elevated, archaizing language fused with epic, amorous, and social imagery; collections such as 'Fresh Air,' 'Aida in the Mirror,' and 'Phoenix in the Rain' are among his finest. He was also a translator, journalist, and compiler of 'Ketab-e Kucheh,' a vast encyclopedia of Iranian folklore and vernacular speech. The contested point is his controversial views on certain cultural symbols — including his critical assessment of the Shahnameh and the figure of Ferdowsi in a lecture — which provoked sharp reactions and remain debated.
Related entities
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, "Šāmlu, Aḥmad"
- Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, Recasting Persian Poetry (1995)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Ahmad Shamlou"