Children Discovering Hafez Matters More Than Memorizing His Poetry

A children's literature poet argues: If we want Hafez to stay alive in the next generation's life, we must give children the chance to discover him, rather than only reciting or memorizing him.

In an interview with Mehr reporter, Maryam Eslami answered the question that "Many parents think that Hafez's poems are full of philosophical, mystical concepts and difficult words, and children do not understand them. As a child poet, in your opinion, at what age and with what approach should Hafez and other elders be introduced to the world of children so that they are not left behind? He said: In my opinion, the main question is not at what age a child can read Hafez, but from what age and how we can provide him with Hafez. From the first years of life, the child can communicate with the music of the language, poetic images and the emotion of the poem, without knowing the meaning of all the words. We must differentiate between introducing the child to poetry and teaching and interpreting it. I believe that a child should discover literature as a pleasurable experience before it is a subject to be learned. Therefore, instead of determining a certain age, we should design the encounter with Hafez according to the child's linguistic, emotional and imaginative capacity, so that instead of creating a distance, the ground for his friendship with poetry is provided.

He asked about "Should the child first get acquainted with the music of Hafez's poetry or should he understand the meaning of the verses?" He stated: In my opinion, as a child poet, insisting on understanding all the words and meanings in the first encounter can hinder the child's connection with poetry. The music of the word, the rhythm of the words and the rhythm of the poem provide the context for the child to communicate with it before fully understanding the meaning. Indeed, the music of poetry is the gateway to the world of poetry, but not all of it. We should give the child a chance to listen to the poem, create his own mental images and ask about its meaning when he is interested. If we try to explain all the metaphors from the beginning and impose a specific meaning on him, we take away the opportunity to discover and enjoy him. The meaning should be discovered gradually according to the child's growth and experience, not taught from the beginning.

Islamic regarding "Should the poems of old poets like Hafez be rewritten like old stories so that children can understand them more easily at the first encounter, or is there no need for this?" He said: We do not need to do this. In Hafez's poetry, meaning is not only in words; Music, allusions, metaphors, humor and language subtleties also play a role in its beauty. Therefore, simplifying the poem by removing these features may harm its artistic value. A poet who wants to write for children inspired by Hafez, in addition to knowing the child's mental world, should take advantage of Hafez's elegance of imagery, multi-layered meaning and different view of the world. Sometimes it is better to create independent works instead of directly rewriting the sonnets that have a dialogue with the visual and intellectual world of Hafez and gradually bring the child closer to the original poem. The goal should not be to diminish Hafiz; We need to find ways to connect with the child's large and multi-layered world, appropriate to the child's experience.

Referring to Yalda night and Hafez's divination ritual, which has become one of the traditions of this night in Iran and its capacity to create a positive and playful emotional memory in children's minds, this poet explained: Hafez is not just a poet in our culture, but a part of our emotional and collective memory. The sound of elders reciting poetry, Yalda night and family gatherings can be among the first lovely experiences of children with literature. We can give the child the opportunity to open the divan, listen to the poem, choose an image or word and talk about it or draw a picture and create a story inspired by it. Of course, it is better to highlight the cultural, imaginative and reflective aspect of Hafez's fortune telling, rather than making that fortune telling in the eyes of children. Because this work is also harmful in my opinion. It is important for the child to have an experience of intimacy, surprise and imagination with Hafez, and the poem is connected with a good memory in his mind.

Maryam Eslami answered the question that "we were a generation that often encountered heavy and memorizing parts of ancient poetry in textbooks, which sometimes gave the opposite result. What warning would you give to teachers and families so that they don't repeat this mistake and turn Hafez into just a 'boring homework'?'' He said: Let's make a difference between learning about poetry and experiencing poetry. A child may recite a ghazal by heart and explain the meaning of its words, but he has not established any emotional connection with it. On the other hand, only one verse may remain in the child's mind and make sense to him years later. Therefore, the success of literature education should not be measured only by the reservation and retelling of the meaning expected by the teacher. Memorizing poetry is valuable, but it should not become the primary goal. Teachers and families should give children opportunities to express themselves, ask questions, and explore poetry without fear of getting the wrong answer. If we want Hafez to survive in the lives of the next generation, we must give children the opportunity to discover him, not just read or memorize him.