Namaeh Farhangistan

Namaeh Farhangistan

An Analysis of the Intellectual and Social Contexts for the Reception of Rumi's Poetry in the United States and England

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Kareem Lowaymi Mutlaq
Associate Professor, Department of English, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
10.22034/nf.2026.563516.1491
Abstract
The twentieth century witnessed a profound spiritual crisis in Western societies, precipitated by the decline of traditional "grand narratives" like Christianity and the rise of a modernist narrative subsequently critiqued by postmodern thought. These critiques, which targeted the autonomous "subject" and instrumental rationality, led to a widespread sense of intellectual helplessness and spiritual emptiness, creating a demand for new sources of meaning. It was within this intellectual climate that the poetry of Rumi, with its emphasis on transreligious love, the annihilation of the ego, and the pursuit of transcendence in daily life, found a receptive audience. The popular reception of Rumi in the West can thus be interpreted as a response to the failure of dominant discourses to provide consoling definitions of individuality or to address contemporary spiritual needs.
A fundamental catalyst for this widespread success was the work of translator Coleman Barks. While his versions are often free adaptations of prior scholarly translations, Barks employed a contemporary and poetic language that reconfigured Rumi's mystical concepts for a modern readership. This approach made the poems accessible not only to an academic elite but also to a general public, who found in them both a balm for spiritual wounds and a promise of spirituality in a pluralistic world.
This study examines the transformation of the dominant intellectual fields during this period and investigates the specific origins of Rumi’s popular success in the English-speaking world, with a particular focus on the role of Coleman Barks.
Keywords
Rumi
Coleman Barks
translation
postmodernism
spirituality
meaning-making
English-speaking world
Subjects
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Namaeh Farhangistan
Volume 25, Issue 2 - Serial Number 102
Nemeh Farhangestan (Comparative Literature)
May and June 2026
Pages 79-96

  • Receive Date 05 December 2025
  • Accept Date 29 December 2025