Harold Bloom’s "Anxiety of Influence" is a seminal theory in practical literary criticism that explores the dialectical, yet inherently antagonistic, relationships poets forge with their precursors in an effort to assert their own creative originality. This theory posits “clinamen,” or willful poetic misreading, as the primary and foundational defensive mechanism through which the “belated” poet attempts to break free from the overwhelming shadow of tradition and establish a distinct individual voice. Informed by Bloom’s theory, the present study examines the poetics of Nimā Yushij, focusing on the mechanism of clinamen. It analyses Nima’s transformative creative trajectory to elucidate the strategic and conscious nature of his deviations from both the classical Persian poetic canon and the prevailing norms of his contemporary literary scene. Adopting an analytical-descriptive methodology, this research examines documentary sources, most notably Nima’s own critical writings and manifestos concerning his poetic theory and practice. The findings indicate that Nima, while experiencing the anxiety of influence from his precursors, consciously turned to innovation. Through a selective and purposeful reading, he engaged in a paradoxical movement, simultaneously remaining faithful to and breaking away from tradition. By identifying shortcomings in contemporary literary trends, he employed creative misreading in both structural and thematic domains. The results demonstrate that this programmatic deviation operated on two levels—form and content. It served both as a response to the anxiety of influence, enabling Nima to emerge victorious from his poetic struggle with precursors and contemporaries, and as a foundation for establishing an independent, pioneering style in modern Persian poetry. By creating an unprecedented relationship between form and meaning, he not only attained the status of the “father of modern Persian poetry” but also positioned himself as a subsequent source of anxiety for his successors.
 
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Harold Bloom’s "Anxiety of Influence" is a seminal theory in practical literary criticism that explores the dialectical, yet inherently antagonistic, relationships poets forge with their precursors in an effort to assert their own creative originality. This theory posits “clinamen,” or willful poetic misreading, as the primary and foundational defensive mechanism through which the “belated” poet attempts to break free from the overwhelming shadow of tradition and establish a distinct individual voice. As a formidable contemporary Persian poet and theorist, Nima Yushij succeeded in establishing an independent poetics through a conscious and deliberate act of deviation, despite the weight of a thousand-year-old classical poetic tradition and competition from pioneering contemporaries. By focusing on the mechanism of clinamen, the present study seeks to elucidate Nima’s transformative process within the framework of Bloom’s theory.
2. Methodology
The central question is how—and through what subversive strategies— does Nima manage to break free from the anxiety of influence exerted by his predecessors (ranging from the classical tradition to the poets of the Constitutional era and his own contemporaries) and attain the status of the “Father of Modern Persian Poetry”? This study aims to analyse instances of clinamen in Nima’s theoretical and practical poetics across four levels—poetic theory, the poet’s persona, form and structure (meter, rhyme, language), and content (objectivism, description, symbolism, ambiguity, and attention to detail)—as well as to distinguish his deviations from those of superficial modernists who have severed ties with tradition.
3. Theoretical Framework
In Bloom’s worldview, “clinamen” (swerve) derives from the concept of the swerving of atoms in Lucretian physics. By feigning that the predecessor’s path was correct up to a certain point but required a shift in direction—specifically toward the path the later poet himself is taking—and through a process of creative misreading and inverted imitation, the poet simultaneously remains faithful to the tradition and breaks away from it. This study examines Nima’s deviation—both in contrast to his poetic forebears (both traditional and contemporary) and as a source of anxiety for his successors.
4. Discussion and Analysis
Recognising the shortcomings of classical poetry (the imposition of meter and rhyme, the autonomy of individual verses, generalisation, and subjectivism) as well as the flaws in the deviations of his contemporaries (politicisation, a complete break from tradition, and the absence of a coherent theory), Nima embarked on a multifaceted departure: First, in the theory of poetry: redefining poetry as a response to life, reducing meter and rhyme to mere tools, prioritising “internal harmony” over the autonomy of the individual verse, and replacing personal lyricism with “description and narrative.” Second, regarding the poet’s persona: the inversion of the image of the panegyrist and mystic-leaning poet into a social, observant, dialogue-oriented, and narrative poet. Third, in terms of form: abandoning the equality of hemistichs, shifting the function of rhyme from phonetic correspondence to a “thematic resonance,” and gravitating toward natural language suited to the subject matter. And fourth, in terms of content: a shift from the subjective to the objective; a focus on the particulars of nature and society; the creation of indigenous and personal symbols; and an ambiguity that stems not from artificial complexities, but from the depth of the Nimaic perspective. By distinguishing his own departure from that of modernists such as Eshghi, Ref’at, Shin-Partow, and Tondar-Kia—whose deviations were either incomplete, haphazard, or disconnected from tradition—Nima also established that a “powerful clinamen” is possible only at the intersection of fidelity and rebellion.
5. Conclusion
Nima’s innovation was neither an accidental nor a merely formalistic rupture; rather, it was a conscious, systematic, and dialectical response to the anxiety of belatedness. His departure from the status quo—challenging both tradition and his contemporaries while maintaining a link to the past and creatively refining it—became a model for literary transformation. The present study demonstrates that understanding the mechanism of Bloomian “clinamen” can be a key to grasping the dynamics of contemporary Persian poetry—a realm where the powerful poet, through creative misreading rather than absolute negation, acts as both an heir to the legacy and a breaker of tradition.
Bibliography
Akhavane Sales, M. 1376 [1997]. Atā va Laqāye Nimā Yushij. Tehran: Zemestan. [In Persian].
Aryanpoor, Y. 1382 [2003]. Az Sabā tā Nimā. Tehran: Zavar. [In Persian].
Bloom, H. 1403 [2024]. Ezterābe Tasir: Nazariyeh-ei dar Shā’eri. Esfehani, M. J (trans.). Tehran: Negah. [In Persian].
Hamidiyan, S. 1401 [2022]. Dāstān-e Degardisi. Tehran: Niloufar. [In Persian].
Jourkesh, Sh. 1390 [2011]. Boutiqāye Shear-e No. Tehran: Qoqnoos. [In Persian].
Tahbaz, S. 1376 [1997]. Majmoo’e Kāmel-e Nāmeh-hā-e Nimā Yushij. Tehran: Elm. [In Persian].
Yushij, N. 1348 [1969]. Ta’rif va Tabsareh va Yāddāsht-hā-e Digar. Tehrna: Amir Kabir. [In Persian].
Yushij, N. 1350 [1971]. Harf-hā-e Hamsāyeh. Tehran: Donya. [In Persian].
Yushij, N. 1351 [1972]. Arzesh-e Ehsāsāt va Panj Maqāleh-e Digar. Tehran: Goutenberg. [In Persian].