Tracing Metaphysical Features in English and Persian Poetry: A Comparative Study of Jalal ad-Din Rumi and John Donne

Abstract

The central focus of this study is to present a literary comparative analysis of the metaphysical poetry of Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207–1273) and John Donne (1572–1631), two distinguished literary masters from the East and the West. Despite the apparent cultural and linguistic differences between the 13th-century Sufi mystic and the 17th-century English metaphysical poet-preacher, both Rumi and Donne share striking features in their writings when examined through the lens of metaphysical qualities. This research paper, therefore, seeks to trace the major similarities in their poetry on metaphysical grounds. In pursuing these similarities, the analytical comparison is constructed upon the features of metaphysical poetry as defined by T. S. Eliot. Furthermore, the study explores how metaphysical themes manifest within and influence two distinct poetic traditions shaped by different cultural and geographical contexts. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to comparative literature and cross-cultural poetics, offering a rare parallel reading of Donne and Rumi.