The Poetics of Divine Love: Metaphorical Expressions of ʿIshq in Rūmī’s Maѕnavī-i Maʿnavī
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Tasavvuf Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Dergisi May 1, 2025 Arzu Eylül Yalçınkaya 1 citation
In Rūmī's Masnavī-i Maʿnavī, metaphors of love serve as epistemological and ontological instruments that impart knowledge and reflect reality. Rūmī uses the language of love to express ineffable mystical realities of divine love and union, catalyzing the transformation of the soul. His poetic metaphors—love as the astrolabe of God's mysteries or a consuming flame—convey the paradoxical nature of divine love, where intense longing and self-annihilation lead to spiritual fulfillment. Through allegorical narratives and symbolic imagery, Rūmī articulates the soul's journey toward the Divine and its inner metamorphosis through love. The analysis highlights metaphor's indispensable role in expressing what is beyond ordinary language, showing that in the Masnavī love is a deliberate pedagogical tool and existential principle guiding seekers toward experiential knowledge of divine unity.