Rumi's tricks and innovations in depicting "symbolic self" in Shams's sonnets - a case study of animal symbols

Abstract
Symbolism in literary texts is considered one of the most practical and significant elements of imagery. This article examines and analyzes Rumi's techniques in the symbolic depiction of the "self" in the Divan-e Shams—with a particular focus on animal symbols. The statistical sample of this study is the Divan-e Shams. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this article seeks to answer the questions: which animals are symbolically used in Rumi's ghazals to depict the self and its states, and what characteristics of the self are represented by each of these animals? To achieve this goal, first, definitions of symbols and the self, along with their various types, were provided. Then, the imaginative innovations of the ghazals were examined by citing examples, along with the reasons these animals were chosen as symbols of the self. The animal symbols related to the self in the ghazals were explained by considering the cultural background of each. The results of this research indicate that Rumi is a symbolist poet with a creative skill in crafting animal imagery. Furthermore, it demonstrates that animals such as the "dog, donkey, crow, cow, snake, horse, owl, pig, wolf, and fox" are among those whose symbolic representations in the ghazals, considering the significant traits of each, serve as symbols of the commanding self or other aspects of it. For example, the carnal desires of the sleeping dog, such as "greed, anger, and lust," each awaken within a person and attack the carrion of the world. Among these animals, the "dog" has the highest frequency, appearing in 17 instances.