Lahuti’s Innovations in Creating Rhyme Schemes in Poetry

Abu al-Qasim Lahuti is one of the innovative poets in contemporary Persian literature. However, so far, his innovations have not been studied in detail. Lahuti views the alteration of the rhyming scheme as the prominent enabler of innovation in poetry. Some have attributed the origin of this rhyming style to the Western poetry. Yet, others believe that it has a Turkish origin. In view of the fact that Lahuti had some connections with the socialist Soviet Union, it can be argued that such innovations in his poetry may have had a Russian origin. Lahuti has mostly relied on "alternate", "enclosed", and "chain" rhyming styles in order to innovate in his poetry. In alternate rhyming, the first verse of each stanza rhymes with the third verse and the second verse rhymes with the fourth verse. In enclosed rhyming, the first verse of each stanza rhymes with the fourth verse and the second verse rhymes with the third verse. In chain rhyming, each stanza has three verses and the arrangement of rhymes is such that in all stanzas, the first and third verses rhyme, and the second verse of each stanza forms a rhyme with the first and third verses of the next stanza. It should, however, be pointed out that he has never limited himself to only one of the three kinds of rhyming schemes and has sometimes combined them in his poetry. Furthermore, he has also sometimes used the Masnavi (rhyming pair) form in the last verse in his poems, just as is the case with the sonnet in Western poetry. Overall, Lahuti’s particular attention to the role of rhyme schemes as grounds for innovation in poetry could be further regarded as a precursor to Nimayi poetry. Of course, Lahuti himself tried to shorten and lengthen not only rhymes but also hemistiches (مصراع, mesrâ’).