A Visual Analysis of Authenticity in Forough Farrokhzad’s “It Is Only Sound that Remains:” A Heideggerian Approach

This study undertakes a visual exploration of Forough Farrokhzad’s iconic poem, “It Is Only Sound that Remains,” revealing how her aesthetics blurs the line between reality and the surreal to uncover humanity in its raw, existential form. While much of Forough Farrokhzad’s poetry has been examined primarily through biographical or feminist perspectives, often emphasizing linguistic and semantic elements, this study shifts focus to a visual reading of her poem. Through this approach, the poem’s persona visually embodies the early Heideggerian themes—existential anxiety, finitude, Being-toward-death, the call of conscience, and becoming—each contributing to the study’s central focus on authenticity. Farrokhzad imbues her concrete imagery with layered meanings that push these images toward abstraction, filling the poetic world with an atmosphere of existential anxiety. This inherent instability in language deprives the poetic persona of any fixed identity, urging a redefinition of being as an evolving process of becoming. The emergence of abstract symbols, such as light and sound, ultimately enables the persona to transcend the inauthentic realm of the “they,” moving toward a dynamic, original state of authenticity.
 
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
This research investigates Forough Farrokhzad’s poem “It is Only Sound that Remains” through the aesthetic and existential lens of early Heideggerian philosophy. Diverging from the conventional biographical and feminist interpretations of Farrokhzad’s works, this study explores the poem’s symbolic and visual dimensions, pushing beyond the established boundaries of Persian poetry. By blurring the boundaries demarcating realism and surrealism, Farrokhzad encapsulates existential themes like existential anxiety, finitude, and Being-toward-death. The speaker’s experience in the poem serves as a reflection of the human condition, where authenticity is achieved by breaking away from the conformity of the “they-self.” Using abstract dynamics of light, sound, and abstraction, the poem articulates a transient identity defined more by “becoming” than by mere “being.”
While Farrokhzad’s earlier works are marked by a confessional tone, her later collections, especially Another Birth and Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season, shift to broader existential and collective inquiries. As Farzaneh Milani observes, this progression reflects Farrokhzad’s poetic evolution, transcending gender-specific concerns to address universal questions in regard to human beings.
2. Methodology
This study employs qualitative textual analysis that centers on existential aesthetics and early Heideggerian philosophy. The methodology relies on content analysis, interpreting poetic imagery, auditory and visual motifs, and abstract representations to uncover layers of meaning and relate them to existential concepts.
3. Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework draws on early Heideggerian existential philosophy, with key concepts from Being and Time forming the foundation:

Authenticity: The speaker’s journey toward authenticity involves rejecting stagnation and pursuing transcendence which are achieved through an embrace of existential anxiety and an encounter with mortality as an unavoidable truth.
Existential Anxiety: The poem articulates anxiety derived from an acute awareness of mortality and life’s impermanence. Images of birds, light, and sound symbolize the fleeting nature of existence and the quest for meaning amidst this transience.
Being-toward-Death: Death is framed not as an endpoint but as a catalyst for creation and self-realization. Through movement and fluidity, the speaker reinterprets existence.
Call of Conscience: In Heideggerian thought, the call of conscience detaches ` individuals from the “they-self” and leads them to authentic reflection. In this poem, sound functions as a metaphor for this call, summoning both the speaker and the audience toward self-awareness and authenticity.

4. Discussion and Analysis
This analysis focuses on the aesthetic structure of “It is Only Sound that Remains” and reveals how Farrokhzad’s use of surrealism conveys the fragility of human existence. The poem opens with an invitation to motion, rejecting immobility.
Light and sound are central ontological motifs in the poem. Light, a symbol of insight and renewal, is juxtaposed with decay and impermanence. For instance, planetary cycles and the dissolution of light into sound underscore transience while emphasizing the speaker’s journey toward authenticity. Sound, meanwhile, emerges as a lasting force that represents the “call of conscience” and propels the speaker to confront existential truths. Here, sound transcends its physical qualities, becoming a metaphor for the eternal essence of being.
The poem critiques societal norms, contrasting the stagnant “they-self” with the dynamic potential of authentic existence. Through imagery of swamps, morgues, and insects, it critiques the decay inherent in societal conformity. By asking, “Why should I stop?” the speaker underscores the necessity of transformation and movement, resonating with early Heidegger’s emphasis on individual agency in overcoming existential anxiety.
The image of nurturing “unripe ears of wheat” symbolizes creation and renewal, paralleling Heidegger’s concept of “becoming.” This act of cultivation reflects a rejection of stasis and positions the speaker as a creator participating in life’s cyclical processes. Wheat, representing fertility and wisdom, becomes a metaphor for the speaker’s engagement with authentic existence.
The interaction of visual and auditory motifs highlights Farrokhzad’s multisensory approach to aesthetics. Sound, which is described as the “meaning sperm,” bridges creation and abstraction, enables meaning to transcend physical boundaries and achieve metaphysical resonance. This interplay underscores Farrokhzad’s innovative reimagining of ordinary objects within an existential framework.
By addressing existential anxiety and identity, “It is Only Sound that Remains” employs surrealist techniques to explore the speaker’s internal and societal struggles. Farrokhzad’s use of cultural and Iranian symbols, such as light and wheat, anchors her existential inquiry within a distinct aesthetic tradition, distinguishing the poem from other works of its kind.
5. Conclusion
This research demonstrates that “It is Only Sound that Remains” clearly captures existential aesthetics, crafting a fluid identity through abstract imagery and a deeply introspective voice. The poem’s progression from immobility to transcendence mirrors humanity’s pursuit of authenticity in Heideggerian terms. Farrokhzad’s inventive use of visual and auditory motifs expands the boundaries of Persian poetry, establishing her as a trailblazer in modernist literature. By redefining identity as an ongoing process of becoming, the poem resonates with universal existential themes such as anxiety, mortality, and the search for meaning, offering a timeless meditation on the human condition. This study underscores Farrokhzad’s aesthetic innovations and their philosophical depth, opening pathways for further interdisciplinary exploration.
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