Document Type : research article
Author
Department of Russian Language, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jflr.2025.401443.1242
Abstract
The Russian Formalism school, which was consolidated through the theoretical foundations of Roman Jakobson, is considered one of the pivotal advancements in twentieth-century literary criticism and linguistics. This study aims to systematically revisit Jakobson’s lesser-examined views in Persian in order to reveal the fundamental role of this school in the evolution of modern literary criticism. Accordingly, through a descriptive-analytical method, Jakobson’s series of lectures at Brno University have been thoroughly examined to demonstrate that Russian Formalism, within Jakobson’s framework, goes beyond a mere focus on the phonetic and aesthetic features of poetic language and addresses the study of internal structures, semantics, and the complex relationships between sound and meaning in the poetic text. Jakobson, by emphasizing the distinction between the literal meaning of a word and its referential relation to reality, and by introducing concepts such as the “poetic function” and “dominant,” transformed literary criticism from a purely historical, ideological, and content-based approach into a paradigm applicable to other art domains. Contrary to unjust criticisms and political pressures, Formalism—through the integration of structural linguistics, philosophy of language, and aesthetics—enabled systematic analysis of literary texts and played a key role in shaping structuralist and semiotic criticism. At the same time, Jakobson acknowledges the internal limitations and paradoxes of the school, including an excessive focus on the autonomy of form apart from historical and social contexts, which can restrict a comprehensive and dialectical understanding of art. This research, while highlighting the significance of Jakobson’s lectures as a valuable resource, emphasizes that despite its theoretical challenges, Russian Formalism still holds a distinguished position in language and literature studies.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)