Document Type : Research Paper

Author

10.22059/jpl.2025.390665.2295

Abstract

This article applies Claude Lévi-Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions to conduct a structural analysis of Mehdi Akhavan-Sales’s poem Chavoshi. The aim of the study is to identify and examine the fundamental oppositions embedded in the poem’s semantic structure and to explore how these oppositions are organized within the narrative and linguistic framework. The central research question addresses how binary oppositions function in Chavoshi and what role they play in shaping the poem’s semantic, mythological, and semiotic structure. This study employs a qualitative content analysis method, focusing on oppositions such as “journey vs. stillness,” “hope vs. despair,” and “freedom vs. captivity” as structural elements within the poem. The findings indicate that Akhavan-Sales, through the use of mythological patterns, cultural symbols, and binary structures, constructs a semantic system that not only reimagines ancient narratives but also elevates the poem beyond a purely personal experience. In this analysis, Chavoshi is understood not merely as a reflection of individual emotion, but as a constellation of signs and cultural structures that derive their meaning through oppositional relationships and mythic codes.

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