Anvar, L. (2023). A meditation on Rumi and the power of poetry. TED Immigrant Diaspora: Iran, Retrieval https://go.ted.com/Lkcjs

Anvar presents a passion for Rumi’s poetry, relating her own exile from Iran, in an eloquent talk that evokes emotion in the audience. She expresses the gift she has of language in her exile — her treasured mother tongue of Persian – giving her the ability to study Rumi. Although she does not really speak of all the world wars and people in exile, she does appeal to the common feeling of being in exile, the need for spirituality, in particular love, and how poetry enriches us to not feel ‘desperate and disorientated’ when in any type of exile.

Anvar tells a story that shares her deep passion for poetry and her creditability of writing two books and a PhD thesis on Rumi. So, in this short talk the audience is gaining considerable insight into not only the art of poetry, but the soul, mind and heart of the poet with her prose and poetic style. She is very succinct in her presentation of Rumi’s poetry in Persian and English; how these lines captivated her as a young girl in a war-torn country by her father’s side. Rumi became her constant companion. She engages the audience with her passion to share her pristine love of Rumi’s words, turmoil and redemption in hopes the audience will love Rumi and to be forever changed as well. To have hope and compassion for those in exile who love and want to return.

She uses her excellent command of both English and Persian to help draw the audience into the art of poetry. At first, she reads the poetry in Persian, then English; later with another recital she starts in English and then translates to Persian. This highlights her acceptance of her new life, and a metaphor to never forget where you come from and where you’d like to go.

Her arrangement of material and balance of personal experience, gives the audience enriching anticipation. Her ideas are revealed not in chronological order, but more with regard for pathos, revealing her deep adoration of Rumi. His poetry gave her so much strength to study, write books, and to believe in love – starting with profound gratitude for her treasured homeland language of Persian.

I feel Anvar is successful in helping the audience contemplate the ‘poetic journey’ and she is very direct in saying this while gaining the trust of the audience to be on this journey with her.