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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
13)The Manifesto of Tarasher — Degargoun Publishing, First 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
What Is Tarasher?
Introduction
Amin Afzalpour, a writer, poet, and theorist of contemporary Iranian visual-graphic poetry and the founder of Tarasher, (pronounced /tæɾɒːʃeʔɾ/) a new movement in visual and graphic poetry that began in February 2019, with the aim of redefining the relationship among poetry, language, image, form, and sign. Tarasher seeks to move poetry beyond the confines of the purely auditory and linguistic and transform it into a visual, multilayered, and graphic experience.
Afzalpour is the author of thirteen books in the fields of poetry and literature, and in addition his poetic work, he has conducted research and developed theoretical approaches concerning the intersections of literature, the visual arts, semiotics, and the visual structures of language. His most significant theoretical achievement is the founding of Tarasher and the formulation of its theoretical foundations in the form of the Tarasher Manifesto.
He has published two books so far, entitled Tarasher and The Tarasher Manifesto, as well as a work entitled Tarasher Portfolio, all in connection with this movement. Tarasher Portfolio has been published and archived on the international platform Zenodo and presents a collection of examples and documentation relating to the movement.
The Tarasher Manifesto articulates the theoretical framework of the movement and examines the roles of the letter, word, image, form, composition, and meaning within the new structure of poetry. In Tarasher, language is not merely a means of conveying meaning; it becomes a visual and compositional material, such that letters and words can function simultaneously as linguistic units and visual elements within the structure of the poem.
Within this approach, poetry is not merely read; it is also seen and perceived. The relationship between text and image, language and form, and reading and seeing therefore becomes one of the fundamental axes of the Tarasher experience.
Amin Afzalpour is also a member of the Writers' Union of Sweden and the Swedish PEN Association, and pursues his literary and theoretical work within a context that extends beyond the boundaries of Persian literature.
Tarasher seeks to expand the possibilities of poetry and establish an active dialogue between word and image, language and visual form, and reading and seeing. In this approach, the visual dimension of language is regarded not as a decorative or supplementary element, but as an integral part of the structure of poetry and of the process through which meaning is produced.
What Is Tarasher?
Tarasher is a new movement in contemporary Iranian poetry that emphasizes the simultaneous presence of language and image in the process of poetic creation. From this perspective, poetry is not merely a collection of words and sounds but a visual structure in which its constituent elements—including the letter, form, arrangement, spacing, image, and sign, play a role in producing meaning.
In Tarasher, the letter moves beyond its status as a merely written element and becomes an independent aesthetic unit—an element that can be seen, acquire a visual identity, and carry new layers of meaning.
By focusing on the latent capacities of the letter, Tarasher attempts to redefine the relationship between language and image, allowing the letter, in addition to its linguistic function, to appear within the structure of poetry as a visual, metaphorical, and meaning-generating element.
Tarasher: A Revolution in the Ontology of Poetry
The most fundamental theoretical transformation introduced by Tarasher occurs in the field of the ontology of poetry, for this movement tries to offer a new answer to the question: What is poetry? From the perspective of Tarasher, poetry is not merely a linguistic text but a perceptual event that comes into being through the interaction of language, image, space, time, and the audience.
Within this view, meaning does not reside solely in words; rather, it emerges through the process of encounter and discovery. By moving from representation to presence, Tarasher makes it possible for part of what language refers to to become present within the structure of the work itself. From this standpoint, the letter is no longer merely a tool for constructing words; it can acquire a new visual, pictorial, and semantic identity.
One of the most significant theoretical achievements of Tarasher is the letter identity substitution: a process through which a letter, while retaining its readability, can appear in the form of an object, organ, symbol, or image and simultaneously participate in the production of meaning. In this way, the boundary between the linguistic sign and the visual element is reduced, and language acquires a more tangible presence on the page.
Tarasher also expands the material substance of poetry, allowing the letter, image, form, space, visual silence, distance, and page layout to become constitutive elements of the poem. As a result, poetry is transformed from a purely linguistic structure into a multilayered network of relationships among language, image, and perception.
Tarasher: A Revolution in the Perception of Poetry
Tarasher does not merely transform the structure of poetry; it also alters the way poetry is perceived and received. Within this process, meaning does not begin only after reading; it begins at the moment of visual encounter with the work. Before reading the poem, the audience sees it, and the first layers of meaning emerge at the moment of visual apprehension.
This situation may be termed the suspension of meaning at the moment of vision—a moment in which meaning has not yet been established, while possibilities of meaning are activated through image, form, letters, and visual relationships.
One of the most important perceptual characteristics of Tarasher is the presence of pre-linguistic perception: that is, a part of the poetic experience takes shape prior to its translation into language, through seeing, form, image, and the visual structure of the work. In this process, the audience is not merely a reader but also an observer and discoverer of meaning.
In Tarasher, the perception of poetry transformed from a linear pathway to a multilayered process:
Vision → Pre-linguistic perception → Discovery of visual and letter-based relationships → Reading → Interpretation and reconstruction of meaning
For this reason, poetry in Tarasher is not merely read; it is seen, experienced, and discovered, and the audience assumes an active role in the realization of the work's meaning.
The most important Revolutions of Tarasher
Tarashe'r redefines the position of the letter within the structure of poetry. In this perspective, the letter is not merely the smallest written unit or a sign for the production of sound; it can become an independent aesthetic element—an element that can be seen, acquire a visual identity, and participate in the production of meaning.
In Tarasher, the “forgotten territory of the letter” is brought back to the center of poetic attention, elevating the letter from the level of a tool for constructing words to that of an active element in poetic creation.
2. A Revolution in Meaning
In Tarasher, meaning does not formed solely through words and sentences; it is generated through the interaction of letters, images, forms, signs, and visual structures. Meaning is no longer a pre-existing concept but emerges through the reader's encounter with the work and the discovery of relationships among its constituent elements.
3. A Revolution in Form and Composition
Tarasher expands the concepts of form and composition in poetry. Within this view, composition is not only the result of combining words; it may also emerge through relationships among letters, images, objects, symbols, colors, and space.
The letter in Tarasher ceases to be a passive element into a part of the process of composition and meaning-making. Through the letter identity substitution, the letter retains its readability while acquiring a new visual identity, thereby establishing a connection between language and image.
Within this structure, form is not merely a container for meaning; it is itself part of the production of meaning. The page, distances, white space, the position of elements, and the direction of gaze movement also play a role in the architecture of poetry. Form in Tarasher is therefore a dynamic and perceptual structure that comes into being through the interaction between the work and the audience.
4. A Revolution in Language: Tarasher as the Fourth Revolution in Language
In its theoretical framework, Tarasher proposes four stages in the transformation of poetic language:
1.Auditory language
2.Visual language
3.Figurative language
4.Objective Language
In this view, Tarasher proposes the fourth stage—Objective Language—a stage in which language is not merely heard or read, but in which part of its structure acquires a visual and objective quality within the audience's perceptual experience.
At this stage, a letter can simultaneously possess a linguistic identity and a visual identity. The audience both reads the letter and perceives its new image and meaning. This is the mechanism that Tarasher theory identifies as the letter identity substitution.
5. A Revolution in Literary Arrangements
Tarasher creates new possibilities for literary devices and expands certain rhetorical elements into a visual and multilayered domain, including:
•letter identity substitution: the transformation of a letter’s written identity into a new visual identity without eliminating its readability.
•Three-Dimensional Paronomasia: the simultaneous formation of paronomasia at three levels—verbal, semantic, and visual.
•Semantic and Visual Correspondence: establishing connections among elements on the basis of visual relationships and similarities.
•Visual Metaphor: conveying metaphorical concepts through image, form, the shape of the letter, and the graphic structure of the work, so that the visual element itself becomes a carrier of meaning.
•Visual composition: creating new structures through the integration of language and image.
6. A Revolution in the Relationship between the Audience and the Work
In Tarasher, the audience is not merely a recipient of meaning but participates in the process through which meaning is discovered and formed. They moves among letters, images, forms, and signs and, through this interaction, completes the poetic experience.
In this way, poetry moves from being a text intended merely for reading to becoming an experience of seeing, discovery, and multilayered perception.
The fundamental difference between Tarasher and purely visual approaches lies in the fact that, within this movement, the image is not simply placed alongside the text but enters into the internal structure of language itself. Letter, image, form, and meaning interact within a unified system, giving rise to a multilayered structure of poetic experience.
By emphasizing the autonomy and latent capacities of the letter, the active role of form and image in the production of meaning, and the audience’s participation in the perceptual process, Tarasher seeks to open a new horizon for contemporary Iranian poetry.
In this view, poetry is transformed from a linear text into a perceptual field; a field in which language, image, sign, space, time, and the audience’s gaze are simultaneously present in the construction of meaning.
From this perspective, Tarasher is not merely a change in the way poetry is written, but a reconsideration of the nature of poetry, language, and literary experience. This movement seeks to redefine the relationship among letter, image, and meaning and to demonstrate that even the smallest written unit of language can have new capacities for artistic creation.
In a general view, Tarasher attempts to move poetry:
•from mere hearing toward seeing,
•from reading toward multilayered perception,
•from word-centeredness toward the discovery of the latent capacities of letters,
•and from text toward a visual, perceptual, and graphic experience.
Accordingly, as a new movement in contemporary Iranian visual-graphic poetry, Tarasher, through the presentation of its independent manifesto, offers a new proposition for redefining the relationship among language, image, form, sign, and perception.
Distraction and Tarasher
The concept of distraction may have a profound connection with Tarasher, because the experience of reading in the contemporary world is no longer necessarily linear or continuous.
When reading, contemporary individuals encounter words, images, notifications, sounds, signs, and their own thoughts simultaneously, while their attention is constantly shifting from one point to another. The trajectory of meaning is repeatedly interrupted; the reader pauses, moves away from the primary path, and returns to the text. In such circumstances, the reading experience itself has become a disjointed, multi-path, and variable experience.
Within Tarasher, this situation can also occur within the structure of the work itself. The eye may be unable to find a conventional linear path of reading. Words, letters, images, blank spaces, and graphic elements may be placed in relationships that interrupt, redirect, and reconstitute the trajectory of the gaze. To comprehend the work, the audience is compelled to pause, alter the direction of the gaze, move among different elements, and sometimes return to a point that has already been seen.
Here, distraction is no longer merely the subject of the poem; it becomes part of the experience of encountering the poem. The audience does not merely read about distraction but experiences it while seeing and reading the work.
This situation is directly related to the concepts of pause, seeing before reading, and the suspension of meaning within Tarasher theory. In Tarasher, the audience may encounter the visual structure of the work before beginning to read it. Meaning, likewise, does not necessarily become apparent at the first moment; it remains suspended for a period of time and gradually takes shape through the relationships among letter, word, image, form, composition, and the space of the page.
From this perspective, distraction can be transformed from an interruption of reading into an aesthetic and structural element of poetry. The moment when the eye deviates from its habitual path may be precisely the moment when the reader moves beyond mere reading and enters an experience situated between seeing, reading, and perception
Consequently, Tarasher can reflect the contemporary human experience of dispersed attention not merely at the level of subject matter but within the very structure of the poem itself: movement, deviation, pause, seeing, return, and the re-formation of meaning.
Translated and Edited by Ali Ghane
Vad jag gör under författarbesöken
The portfolio published here as a PDF, you can achieve with this address in Zenodo site:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17653287
Verkförteckning
1)Panire ma ghorbe be dam andakht
2)Dar sakhti chon mahi sabor bash
3)Seghte jobain
4)Khaharz
5)Pey_gham_bar
6)Na_ma_ze jama’at
7)Ghoveh Maghna'eh
8)J3
9)A Captive, Named Freedom
10)The Cold Colonialism
11)Rise of the Night
12)Tarasher
13)The Manifesto of Tarasher
