Linguistic thinking on theme and theme making techniques in the Persian poetry

A bunch of studies have been published in various formats of books and papers about Hafiz status and art in the field of Persian literature. Due to the large amount and the continuous process of such studies and in order to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, it is necessary for them to be reviewed especially considering the authors’ pen. The results of such reviews can be applied to address the lacks of this field. This study examines the historical process of Hafiz studies and their subjects as well. Since the beginning of the process (1919) up to 2010 about 2068 studies have been conducted. This study reviews the historical trend of Hafiz studies first in the format of papers, then checks the reasons of their ups and downs due to their quantity and quality. The stories are categorized under five historical periods and eight headings of: description of verses, critical review of books and studies about Hafiz, introduction of various Divan corrections, and the introduction of new versions, character analysis, Hafiz’s life and thoughts, Hafiz and the others, aesthetics (of Hafiz’s poetry). This study shows the rising process of the production of the studies since the beginning up to the third historical period due to the holding of two Hafiz’s memorial conferences. In the fourth period, this process quantitatively falls down but qualitatively rises till the fifth period when both quantity and quality of the papers escalate due to the introduction of new literary topics and the advance of criticisms.