An Interview with Mahmud Kianush in 1998
Mahmud Kianush is widely regarded as the founder of children’s poetry in Iran.
In this brief interview, Kianush shares insights into his journey, the essence of children’s poetry, and his contributions to the genre.
Table of Contents
Why Did You Start Writing Poetry For Children?
“More than 30 years ago, I was invited by the Centre for Educational Publications (Ministry of Education) to contribute to seven bi-weeklies for children, young adults, teachers, and parents. That was when I realised that I wanted my contributions to be poetry for children.
I began to study the situation at the time. What I found was that only a few contemporary poets, who were not really aware of what children’s poetry should be, had occasionally written some poems for children. Any other works published for children were chosen from contemporary as well as classical poets, who had not originally intended their work to be for children, but since the subjects and expressions were simple, they were thought suitable for that age group. From this, I concluded that in reality, we did not have any children’s poetry.
It was then that I thought back to my own childhood and tried to remember which poems I liked, and what made them memorable. I found that there were only a few nursery rhymes and folk songs that had made an impression on me. So, thinking like a child, and having those nursery rhymes as a source of inspiration in words and music, I started to write a number of experimental poems and published them in the bi-weekly magazines.
I was then able to create poetry that I would have liked to have read when I was a child.“
What is Children’s Poetry?
“Poems for children are like toys, that are made of words, and these words give wings to their imagination. Children want to sing them, to dance with them, and to play with them. Therefore, the poems have to be musical, colorful, and easy for children to use as toys.
Since children are of an age when they are beginning to experience nature and life, subjects have to be chosen through their searching and discovering eyes. What they discover in their environment—be it things, people, or emotions—everything in their poems has to be in accordance with this journey in playfully knowing and understanding the world.“
How Did You Become Known as the Founder of Children’s Poetry in Iran?
“After eight years of writing poetry for children, which accounted for eight books of poetry, I explained the principles that I had discovered and invented in a book entitled Children’s Poetry in Iran, published by Agha Publications, Tehran, in 1973.
As a result of this work, I became known as the founder of children’s poetry in Iran. Today, many young poets famous for writing children’s poetry have been influenced by my works.“
Why Did You Stop Writing Children’s Poetry?
“There came a time when I felt that I had written what I believed to be almost all the suitable subjects for children in my poetry, and to write any more would have meant that I would be repeating myself. That was when I knew that I had to stop and let other poets give their share of words to children.“
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Mahmud Kianush’s contributions have left a lasting legacy in the realm of children’s literature in Iran. His pioneering work not only established a foundation for children’s poetry, but also inspired subsequent generations of poets to create works that continue to enrich the imaginative lives of young readers.
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