A Comparative Study of Parvin Etesami’s Poetry and Yousef Etesam al-Molk’s Works

Parvin-e E`tesami, the daughter of Yousef E`tesami, was one of the eminent poets of the constitutional period. Her father, E`tesam al-Molk was a remarkable intellectual. He was one of the very first translators and one of the writers whose work started Romanticism in Iran in the last years of Qajar dynasty. He translated pieces from a vast range of topics and, thus, he had an undeniable role in the development of literature and also a modernist look towards life. As the time passed, the idea of Parvin imitating and taking from her father’s works became a widely cited view among the scholars. This research, by using a statistical-analytical method, has investigated the quality and quantity of this linkage in some points (such as diction, imagery, themes, characters) and shows that although Parvin, like any other poet, was influenced by many thoughts and ideas, for some clear reasons the strongest influence was that of her father. It is of course obvious that this influence does not mean mere imitation or plagiarism. The conclusion of this research is that the poet had some innovations in form, format and point of view that formed her special thought and style in poetry. This unique outlook, especially on the common issues of the day, is what indeed makes her a well-known and unforgettable poet.