Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Assistant professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In classical Islamic rhetoric, Uslub al-Hakim—a stylistic device involving deliberate deviation from surface expectations within dialogic contexts—occupies an ambiguous and fragmented position. Particularly in Persian rhetorical tradition, its boundaries with similar devices remain undefined, and the field suffers from both a lack of representative examples and theoretical neglect regarding its pragmatic dimensions. This paper first undertakes a historical-analytical reassessment of Uslub al-Hakim in classical rhetorical sources, clarifying its distinctions from adjacent rhetorical figures. Subsequently, based on core principles of Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson, 1995), the notion of “departure from apparent meaning” is reconceptualized across four inferential levels: (1) reinterpretation of explicature, (2) clash between explicature and implicature, (3) audience-driven inference construction, and (4) critical reframing of encyclopedic or normative assumptions. Employing a qualitative, descriptive-analytical method, the study draws on purposively sampled data from classical Persian texts, particularly within the highly expressive genres of satire and mysticism. Contrary to Arabic-focused traditional sources with limited exemplars, the findings reveal that Persian literary heritage—especially in wisdom dialogues—is replete with innovative instances of Uslub al-Hakim. The relevance-theoretic analysis of these cases offers a novel and fine-grained typology while also demonstrating the cognitive-rhetorical potential of this device in generating cognitive effects, managing tense communicative contexts, and transforming audience perspectives.
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