Collected Works of Ahmad Shamlou (Volume One)

Among Ahmad Shamlou’s works, perhaps his poems, more than any other work left by him, can introduce this great poet to the world. This is because Shamlou, unlike other poets, did not merely compose poetry; he created a new form in Persian poetry and named it free verse. In this creation, however, Shamlou’s meeting with Nima Youshij, the father of modern Persian poetry, was not without influence. His acquaintance with Nima led Shamlou, in the 1940s, to initially turn toward Nimaic poetry. However, his poetry, much like his rebellious spirit, was an unrestrained bird that could not fit within the confines and cages of poetic meters. Therefore, for the first time, in the poem “Until the Red Blossom of a Shirt,” he bid farewell to the form of meter and constructed a new palace in the land of contemporary Iranian poetry. At the start of his poetic journey, one can mention the collection “Forgotten Songs,” which is the only surviving collection of Shamlou’s poetry in a traditional form and with meter. Afterward, with the publication of “The Charter” and “Fresh Air,” he introduced himself as a poet with new ideas and a fiery language. However, this unruly child of Persian poetry continued his march forward, creating poetry collections with social and political themes and a striking and epic tone, through which we still see his combative spirit alive. From Shamlou’s collective works, the first volume is dedicated to his poetry and includes seventeen collections of his poetry. This rich treasure has been published for fans of A. Bamdad’s poetry by Negah Publications.