Amin Afzalpour

Kort om mig

Amin Afzalpour, known by his artistic name “Taraz,” was born on November 28, 1985, in Dezful, Iran. He is a writer, poet, literary theorist, and the founder of the literary style, “Tarasher” (Visual Poetry), it is base on “Imagistic parallelism,” “Visual metaphors,” “Strength of brevity,” and “Change in Literary Calligraphy”. He holds a degree in electronics. Afzalpour entered the literary world professionally in 2015 with the publication of his poetry collection “Panir Ma Gorbe Be Dam Andakht.” Since then, he has published twelve poetry collections.

Works:

1. Panire Ma Gorbe Be Dam Andakht — Ahura Ghalam Publishing, 2015 (Iran)

2. Dar Sakhti Chon Mahie Sabor Bash — Ahura Ghalam Publishing, September 2015 (Iran)

3. Seghte Jobain — Ahura Ghalam Publishing, October 2015 (Iran)

4. Khaharz — Arzan Publishing, Pen Club. First edition: 2016; Second edition: Winter 2018–2019 (Sweden)

5. Pey Gham Bar — Pen Club. First edition: 2016; Second edition: Spring 2017 (Sweden)

6. Namaz-e Jama’at — Pen Club. First edition: 2016; Second edition: 2017 (Sweden)

7. Ghoveh Maghna’eh — Pen Club. First edition: Winter 2018–2019 (Sweden)

8. J3 — Pen Club. First edition: Winter 2018–2019 (Sweden)

English Translations:
9. A Captive Named Freedom — Amazonia Publishing Co., 2022
10. The Cold Colonialism — Amazonia Publishing Co., 2022
11. Rise of the Night — Amazonia Publishing Co., 2023

New addition:
12. Tarasher — Hormozbook Publishing, First Edition: 2025; Second Edition: 2025

Afzalpour currently resides in Sweden and is a member of the Swedish Writers’ Association and the Swedish PEN Association. In February 2019, he introduced the literary style of Tarasher for the first time in modern literature. This style emphasizes the use of visual poetry and imagery, giving importance to the shapes and appearance of letters in addition to their meaning. It utilizes linguistic techniques from the outer layers of poetic language, contrasting with the fundamental concepts of poetic language that are considered the core of poetic expression.

Tarasher Manifesto: A Visual Awakening
"Amin Afzalpour
Poet, Author, and Visual-Graphic Poetry Theorist

¹ Tarasher, as one of the modern movements of contemporary Iranian poetry, presents a multilayer and multisensory experience to the reader. In this mode, the words are not only the carrier of voices and meanings; but they combine with signs and visual elements to create visual_auditory experience. This approach not only forsakes traditional limitations that they mainly were based on rhythm and rhyme but also possibles active interaction of the reader with text. The reader of Tarasher simultaneously reads, sees, and gets a multilayer experience meaning and form.

The purpose of codification of this manifesto is a completely introducing of principles, techniques, and prospects of Tarasher. This manifesto tries to explain theoretical and scientific foundations fluently, concisely, and clearly; and to be a light in the dark path of visual poem or in the other words; graphical_visual poem for researchers, poets, and artists who like graphical _ visual poems. Also, this work tries to specify the position of TaraSher in contemporary Iranian poetry and to emphasise in developing of visual language of poem.

One of the obvious features of Tarasher, is using of strength of brevity and visual metaphors. These tools are possible poets to express complex concepts in the visual and pressed form and decrease the distance between poet and reader. Furthermore, visual symmetry, which emphasises on the visual and semantic harmony, is one of the main pillars of this movement. The result of this mode is the poem that is readable and experienceable for both the eyes and minds of the readers; the poem isn't heard just by ears and isn't limited to traditional form.

Poetry always has been an experience between human and language; the experience that can transfers to reader by hearing and vision. A person who hears poem for the first time, receives the other person's inner feelings and deepest thoughts by his sound and language. This experience takes reader to poet's inner world and activates his hearing simultaneously. On the other hand, one who reads poem, experiences those inner feelings and deepest thoughts by the tools of literacy and sense of sight and achieves a visual_mental interaction.

¹ Tarasher /ˈtɑːɾɑːʃɛɾ/ (طراشعر)(Tara+Sher): The meaning of Tara in Farsi comes from the Greek word "Grapho" it means graphic or picture, and Sher in Farsi drives poet in English): as a poetry movement

Accordingly, listening to a poem is considered a second_hand art, and reading a poem is considered a third_hand art; because the mediums between poet and readers are never eliminated and no concept is realized without any mediums. Even human consciousness has always realized by mediums of knowing and not knowing and understanding art isn't far from this rule. This fact presents art and literature not only aren't directly transfer of meaning, but also are the complex and multilayer process that contributes addresser in its experience actively.

In such a context, the necessity of evolution and innovation in contemporary poetry is revealed. Traditional experiences that are mainly based on sounds and rhythm, they no longer meet the needs of today's audience. Contemporary audiences who live in the digital world and have naturally interacted with visual media need poetry, which can be both heard and seen at the same time. This necessity, creats the opportunity to form of modern movements like Tarasher; the style in which it takes words out of limitation of being only hearable and creats a combination of visual elements, multilayer and active experience for reader

Tarasher enables readers to search for significance not only in sound but also in image, color, combination, and the sequence of words. This movement, with the strength of brevity, visual metaphors, and pictorial symmetry, reduces the distance between poet and reader and elevates the experience of poetry to a new and visual plane. Indeed, Tarasher is created in such a way that it is not merely to be read but to be seen, felt, and to engage with the reader's mind.

In light of these features, the codification of Tarasher manifesto as a fourth_hand art is not merely necessary but serves as a visual revolution in Farsi poetry. Tarasher seeks to take Iranian poetry beyond the limitation of tradition and audority and brings new, creative, and multisensory experience for today's audiences.

Tarasher, as a new style in contemporary poetry, has redefined the boundaries of literary experience and transforms the usual mediums between poet and reader. This mode, beyond the emphasis only on the meaning and concept, involves form and image of the words as the activeted artistic tools, and by using of pictoral and graphical signs, enables visual and multilayer experience of poetry. In this argument, Tarasher is beyond the usual perception of the poem and enables readers to read, see, and analyze meaning in the conceptual and visual layers at the same time.
Therefore, Tarasher, through the combination of words and images, creates a
multidimensional and visual-conceptual experience that can be described as a “new horizon.” This experience actively engages the reader in the process of meaning-making and reduces the distance between the poet and the recipient, both visually and conceptually.

One of the fundamental elements of Tarasher is strength of brevity and the intelligent use of visual signs. In this style, every letter, every space, and every form of the letters becomes part of the text and a carrier of visual meaning. Visual metaphors and pictorial harmony allow for the creation of additional layers of meaning, so that even in the absence of a complete image, the reader can perceive meaning from the visual structure of the words. In this way, Tarasher is not only a poetic style but also a visual-auditory art that places the reader on a path of active and creative experience.

Tarasher can also be regarded as a visual revolution in poetry. In the digital age and the era of social networks, the reader tends to see more than to listen; therefore, poetry needs to move beyond the traditional frameworks of rhythm and rhyme and employ visual and graphic tools to create a simultaneous multisensory experience. This style remains faithful to Iran’s rich visual traditions—such as *¹Nastaʿlīq calligraphy and the miniatures of the *²Shahnameh—while at the same time engaging with modern technology and digital tools, bringing poetry into a new, creative, and accessible form for the contemporary generation.

Thus, Tarasher should be seen not only as a poetic style but also as a revolutionary movement in the landscape of Iranian literature. With this approach, the boundaries between seeing, hearing, and understanding are dissolved, and poetry transforms into an active, multilayered, and visual experience that simultaneously involves both the reader’s mind and eye, paving the way for future innovations in literature and the visual arts.

¹ Nastaʿlīq (نستعلیق):
Nastaʿlīq is a traditional Persian calligraphic style, often regarded as the most elegant script of Persian literature and poetry.

² Shahnameh (شاهنامه):
The Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”) is a monumental Persian epic poem by Ferdowsi (10th–11th century), celebrated for its stories and richly illustrated manuscripts.

Here again, it must be emphasized that visual poetry has a long history in Iranian
literature. From the Nastaʿlīq calligraphies to the miniatures of the Shahnameh, and even classical examples of visual poetry, there have always been attempts to combine meaning with image. However, TaraSher redefines this tradition in a coherent and modern way.

The "book Tarasher" by "Amin Afzalpour", recently published, presents a comprehensive collection of Tarasher samples, critiques, and related essays. This work not only reflects the growth and maturity of this style in Iran, but also provides a platform where readers, researchers, and artists can experience poetry simultaneously as a visual and conceptual form.
Its publication establishes Tarasher as a modern intellectual and visual movement, demonstrating that Persian poetry can be both traditional and innovative—preserving cultural roots while at the same time engaging with the contemporary visual language.

Through strength of brevity, the fusion of word and image, and the use of visual metaphors, Tarasher expands the boundaries of traditional poetry and creates a multilayered experience for the reader. This style reduces the distance between poet and reader in both meaning and form, opening the possibility of a creative and imaginative world. As a visual-auditory art, Tarasher enables active interaction between the reader and the text; the reader is no longer a passive receiver of meaning but instead constructs, understands, and gives meaning to the poem through their gaze.

In the digital age and the era of social networks, when audiences tend to see more than they listen, Tarasher can be regarded as a visual revolution in contemporary Iranian poetry. This style demonstrates that poetry can move beyond the traditional frameworks of rhythm and rhyme, and by employing graphic, digital, and visual tools, create an active multisensory experience. In doing so, Tarasher remains faithful to Iran’s rich visual traditions while also engaging with modern technologies, bringing poetry into a new, creative, and accessible form for the contemporary generation.

From a systematic perspective on the conditions of the digital era, Tarasher is more than a poetic style; it represents a revolutionary movement in world literature, one that dissolves the boundaries between seeing, hearing, and understanding, and finds its place within the literatures of other nations. The publication of Tarasher underscores the importance and position of this style in contemporary literature, and further shows that the path of innovation and creativity in world poetry remains open and full of promise. This work paves the way for future visual and multilayered poetic experiments and invites a new
generation of poets and artists to create and engage actively.

We all know that both traditional and modern Persian poetry have often been confined to auditory rhythm and rhyme—the same ''authoritarian old father" whose frame excluded anyone who did not fit within it, branding them as uneducated and in need of growth. This father completely ignored the visual elements of poetry. Such limitations have prevented a part of the audience—especially younger generations and those who prefer visual and multimedia experiences—from fully connecting with poetry.

Meanwhile, on a global scale, movements such as Concrete Poetry and Visual Poetry were flourishing widely across Europe, Latin America, and the United States, combining word and image to create multilayered and active experiences for readers. In Iran, however, similar grounds remained barren and largely overlooked—until suddenly, Tarasher emerged.

Tarasher is not only a response to the limitations of traditional poetry but also a visual revolution in the field of Iranian literature. This style demonstrates that Persian poetry can be both traditional and innovative at the same time—remaining connected to its cultural roots while also attracting a new generation of readers through a modern visual language. The publication of diverse Tarasher samples, along with critiques and related essays in Amin Afzalpour’s book Tarasher, stands as evidence of the importance and position of this new style and paves the way for creative and multilayered poetic experiences in the future of Iranian poetry. This movement is a call for poets, artists, and visually-oriented audiences to participate in a collaborative and creative experience, liberating poetry from the constraints of tradition.

For this liberation, certain key principles and theoretical-scientific frameworks have been defined. These foundational principles of Tarasher, as a theoretical and practical framework for the creation of visual and graphic poetry, determine the foundations of this new style and provide guidelines for poets and artists to create multilayered, active, and participatory experiences for their audiences. These principles are both a response to the limitations of traditional poetry and an opportunity to utilize the potential of visual and digital capacities.

The Core Principles of Tarasher

Words as Images:
Words are not only sound but also image. Their visual form and composition carry meaning. Without this visual dimension, the transmission of meaning remains incomplete. This principle breaks the boundary between auditory and visual meaning, making poetry a multidimensional experience.

Dialogue Between Word and Image:
In Tarasher, text and image must remain in constant interaction. This interplay creates a multilayered experience, making poetry not only readable but also visible, and opening the way for new and unexpected meanings.

Visual Metaphors:
By using visual shapes and forms, meaning is deepened and intensified. For example, shaping the word “sun” into a glowing circle conveys both its semantic content and its visual presence.

Freedom from Traditional Rules:
Rhyme and meter are no longer binding. The visual form and spatial harmony of text itself can generate rhythm and poetic flow, allowing poetry to transcend conventional boundaries.

Active Audience Engagement:
Visual poetry transforms the reader from a passive recipient into an active interpreter. By compelling the audience to “see” the text, poetry becomes a participatory process of meaning-making.

Digital Expansion:
Technology and digital tools enable the fusion of visual and semantic layers, the creation of innovative forms, and the wide circulation of poetry. Software, apps, and online platforms extend Tarasher into a modern and global poetic style.

In sum, these core principles not only establish the theoretical foundation of Tarasher but also provide a clear operational path for poets and artists to create a new, active, and multilayered poetic experience. By relying on this framework, Tarasher goes beyond the limitations of traditional poetry, allowing the audience to discover meaning with both eye and mind, and to become part of the creative
process itself. This movement signals the beginning of a visual revolution in poetry—one capable of transforming the future of Iranian literature and introducing new generations of readers to an innovative, participatory experience of poetry.

Methods and Techniques of Tarasher
The methods and techniques of Tarasher serve as the practical foundation for realizing its core principles, creating a multilayered and active poetic experience. These techniques demonstrate how word and image can remain in constant dialogue, shaping a poetic form that is at once visual and semantic.

*¹ Calligram:
One of the most recognized techniques in TaraSher is the calligram. In this method, the poem is shaped into the form of its subject, so that the visual image corresponds with its meaning. For example, a poem about a bird or a flower may be arranged so that the letters and lines take the form of a bird or flower. This technique not only strengthens the transmission of meaning but also elevates poetry to a visual level that engages the reader in interpretation and discovery.

Graphic Layers:
Another central technique of Tarasher is the use of graphic layers. Visual elements such as color, texture, shape, and spatial arrangement of letters enhance the interaction between text and image, creating a multilayered experience. Each layer contributes independently to the meaning and emotion of the poem. In this way, poetry is freed from the limitations of one-dimensional auditory experience, inviting the audience into an active and participatory engagement where meaning emerges through its visual and spatial form.

¹ Calligram: A type of poem in which the words are arranged to form a visual image of the poem’s subject. This form became especially popular in French poetry of the early 20th century (e.g., Guillaume Apollinaire).

Cultural Inspiration:
Tarasher also draws inspiration from Iranian cultural heritage. The use of Persian motifs, *¹ miniature art, and traditional calligraphy creates a bridge between historical tradition and modern innovation.
This approach gives Thrasher a uniquely national and historical identity, while also opening the way to new forms and modern styles. The reader, therefore, encounters both the richness of Iranian cultural heritage and the innovative visual language of contemporary poetry.

Digital tools:
Digital tools also play a central role in the development of Tarasher. Software such as Photoshop, Canva, and mobile applications enable the creation, editing, and dissemination of visual-graphic poetry. These tools not only remove the traditional limitations of printing and publishing but also allow for the combination of semantic and visual layers, the creation of creative effects, and broad access to audiences. By leveraging technology, Tarasher becomes a modern and global style, paving the way for direct and active engagement between the audience and the poem.

These methods and techniques demonstrate that Tarasher is not merely a new poetic style, but a visual revolution in Iranian poetry. Through graphic layers, inspiration from Iranian culture, and the use of technology, this style can create a novel, active, and multidimensional poetic experience for the audience. As previously noted, Tarasher moves the audience out of a passive role, placing them in the process of meaning-making and visual engagement, so that poetry is not only heard but also seen and felt. This marks the beginning of a redefinition of the relationship between poet, text, and audience in contemporary Iranian literature.

¹ Miniature art: A traditional form of Persian painting, often used in manuscripts such as the Shahnameh, characterized by detailed, colorful, and symbolic illustrations.

If we ask how Tarasher invites audiences and content creators to actively participate in the creation and experience of poetry, the answer lies in the philosophy and vision of this style. By providing a creative and multilayered space, Tarasher moves the audience beyond passive reading, guiding them into an interactive and visual experience where text, image, and visual form together produce meaning. In this space, the audience simultaneously sees and reads, becoming an active participant in the process of poetic creation.

Based on this approach, Tarasher’s objectives are defined on two levels: short-term and long-term, both of which ensure the continuity and expansion of this new poetic style in Iran and beyond. The short-term objectives focus primarily on raising awareness and educating young poets and artists about this style. Specialized exhibitions, educational workshops, and academic sessions not only provide scientific familiarity with the techniques and principles of Tarasher but also create a network of creators and enthusiasts of visual-graphic poetry. This short-term approach lays the foundation for a sustainable literary movement and actively engages audiences and content creators in the creation and experience of poetry.

The long-term objectives of Tarasher extend beyond education and promotion, aiming to establish this style as a movement and an integral part of contemporary world literature. In this vision, the structure and form of poetry are no longer confined to auditory or traditional written formats, enabling the creation of a comprehensive and multisensory experience for the audience. Tarasher has the potential not only to redefine the structure and form of poetry but also to influence other arts, including cinema, graphic design, digital arts, and visual media. By combining poetry and image, this style provides a multisensory experience that is simultaneously read, seen, and felt, thus transforming the traditional boundaries of poetic experience.

In addition, the international vision of Tarasher is to introduce and showcase the unparalleled potential of visual-graphic poetry to the world. By combining Iranian culture and art with modern global tools and techniques, this style can become part of the international visual poetry movement, positioning Concrete Poetry as one branch while establishing Iran’s contribution to this new literary movement. Together, the short-term and long-term goals of Tarasher outline a clear and revolutionary vision for redefining the poetic experience, fostering creativity in literary-visual arts, and creating a strong connection between the past, present, and future of literature.

To understand this vision, it is essential to recognize that Tarasher is not only an innovative style in contemporary Iranian poetry but also an artistic movement that actively invites both audiences and content creators to participate in the creation and experience of poetry. Poets, graphic designers, and all lovers of words are called upon to join this movement, challenge the traditional boundaries of poetry, and create a multisensory, interactive experience of language and image. This participation can take the form of collaborative groups, online publication of works, and creative challenges or competitions.

The central slogan of this call is: “Let us free words from the chains of sound and place them within the frame of the image!” This phrase serves simultaneously as an invitation and a revolutionary statement, reflecting the essence of Tarasher: poetry is no longer created merely to be heard—it is meant to be seen, experienced, and interpreted. Establishing literary and artistic groups to practice and develop this style facilitates interaction among artists, audiences, and digital technologies, generating new capacities for literary experience.

Moreover, the online publication of Tarasher works can transcend geographical boundaries, elevating the movement to a national and international level. Creative challenges and activities—including Tarasher and visual-graphic poetry competitions, multilayered combinations of text and image, or the reinvention of global visual traditions with modern tools—act as the driving force of this visual revolution, inviting the audience to engage actively in artistic and intellectual creation. In this way, Tarasher not only offers a new method for experiencing poetry but also democratizes the literary process, enabling full participation of the audience in the artistic experience.

It must be emphasized once again that Tarasher goes beyond being merely a literary style; this movement marks the beginning of a visual revolution in global poetry, redefining both the structure and traditional experience of poetry. The combination of word and image, the use of brevity and visual metaphors, pictorial harmony, and multilayered meanings allow the audience to experience poetry simultaneously through reading and seeing. In this way, Tarasher not only expands the language of poetry but also invites the audience to become active participants in meaning-making, engaging with the visual form and composition of words to perceive poetic concepts in a fresh, multisensory way.

With the publication of Tarasher and the release of its manifesto, Amin Afzalpour’s role as a pioneer and founder of visual-graphic poetry in Iran has been
firmly established. This work, in addition to presenting numerous examples of Tarasher, critiques, essays, and theoretical perspectives, provides a coherent and clear path for the future development of this style. In other words, Tarasher is not merely a new literary trend—it offers a theoretical and practical framework for poets, graphic artists, and visual-language enthusiasts to actively participate and create a fresh experience of literary creativity.

The vision of Tarasher extends beyond Iran and traditional literature to include the global elevation of visual-graphic poetry. By fostering interaction among the visual culture of each country where Tarasher is practiced, contemporary audience experience, and digital technologies, this style has the potential to place literature within a multidimensional and innovative space. This transformation, in addition to influencing poetry, can also impact other arts such as graphic design, cinema, and digital media, turning literary experience from a purely textual activity into a fully immersive and multisensory process.

The concluding slogan of this visual revolution, created by Afzalpour, serves both as an invitation and a commitment to creativity and innovation. It can be expressed as:
“Visual-Graphic Poetry (Tarasher): Where the Eye Reads and the Heart Sees.”

Translated and Edited by
"Niknaz Razavi"
Poet, Translator, and Literary Critic

Verkförteckning

1)Panire ma ghorbe be dam andakht(پنیر ما گربه به دام انداخت)

2)Dar sakhti chon mahi sabor bash(در سختی چون ماهی صبور باش)

3)Seghte jobain(سقط جبین)

4)Khaharz(خواهرز)

5)Pey_gham_bar(پی‌غم‌بر)

6)Na_ma_ze jama’at(نه‌ما‌ز‌جماعت)

7)Ghoveh Maghna'eh(قوه‌ی مقنعه)

8)J3(ژ۳)

9)A Captive, Named Freedom(اسیری به نام آزادی)

10)The Cold Colonialism(استعمار سرد)

11)Rise of the Night(طلوع شب)

12)Tarasher(طراشعر)