Sohrab Sepehri

Sohrab Sepehri (1928–1980) was an Iranian poet and painter whose modernist Persian poetry, especially The Water’s Footfall, joined close attention to nature with spiritual reflection.

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Persian literature: Literature written in Persian, spanning poetry, prose, and drama across many centuries and regions. Sepehri renewed a literary tradition in which lyric poetry has long held exceptional importance.
The Water’s Footfall: A 1964 poetry collection by Sohrab Sepehri, also known by its Persian title Sedā-ye pā-ye āb. This collection gathers some of his best-known poems and helped establish his literary reputation.
Nima Yushij: An Iranian poet widely regarded as the founder of modern Persian poetry. Yushij’s innovations in poetic form helped prepare the literary ground Sepehri entered.
Nature poetry: Poetry that makes the natural world a central subject, setting, or source of imagery. Sepehri’s trees, water, and landscapes become ways of attending to existence, not mere scenery.
Modern Persian poetry: Persian poetry shaped by modern literary forms, changing social conditions, and departures from classical conventions. Sepehri’s free verse belongs to this transformation of Persian poetry.
The Traveller: A long poem by Sohrab Sepehri, published in 1966 as part of his poetic work. Its journey through landscapes and perception extends the meditative method of The Water’s Footfall.
Ahmad Shamlou: An influential Iranian poet known for modern free verse and socially engaged writing. Shamlou’s public and political emphasis contrasts with Sepehri’s inward, nature-centered poetry.
Spirituality in poetry: Poetic exploration of transcendence, inward life, religious experience, or ultimate questions. His work seeks spiritual openness through perception rather than formal religious argument.
Persian free verse: Persian poetry that loosens or abandons the fixed meters and forms of classical verse. Its formal freedom enabled Sepehri’s conversational rhythms and open-ended images.
Eight Books: A collected edition bringing together Sohrab Sepehri’s major poetry books. It presents the development of his poetry as a sustained body of work.