Puns in rhymes (A common but underexplored device)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant professor Department of Persian Language and Literature, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22108/liar.2026.149203.2600

Abstract

Using puns is a major issue discussed in prosody books. Over time, prosodic works have introduced different types of puns. Some poets have shown their skill in versification by using puns in rhymes, but the use of this device in rhymes has remained somewhat neglected in prosody books. The poems composed in different periods of the Persian literature, some of which contain similar pun-based rhymes, suggest that such rhymes have historically been favored by poets, rhetoricians and compilers. Moreover, as reported by the books written in the west of the Muslim world (Andalucia), punning in rhymes was initiated by Abu al-Fath Bosti and then commonly practiced by poets. The present study introduces various types of puns in rhymes based on the rhyme patterns of different poetic forms. This is followed by the analysis of the opinions of some contemporary experts who refer to such poems as ‘punned ones’. Also, the significance of Abu al-Fath Bosti and his poetry for his contemporaries and followers after him is examined. In this context, a number of the poems imitating his style are brought up to analyze. The article ends up by reporting some mistakes that poem editors have made due to lack of familiarity with punning in rhymes.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Literary Arts

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 17 August 2026

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics