Poetry as manifestations of the unconscious

In this article I will look into the life and work of Rumi, the famous Persian poet who has becomes so famous and very popular among scholars and lay people these days in America. In order to understand Rumi, it is necessary to contemplate his work in the context of Persian poetry and more importantly, poetry in general arising as poetic forms, images, metaphors, and analogies. Also, Persian Sufis love to write poetry, as it satisfies their needs to express themselves.

 One thing we must know for sure, that authentic poetry does not come cheap! It is the result of agony and ecstasy of the intoxicated or tormented soul of the artist! Let’s look at the process that Rumi became a poet:

 In late October of 1244, at the age of thirty-eight, Rumi met a disheveled Dervish on the road connecting the school to his home. This unknown wanderer was to become Rumi’s muse and beloved, as well as his greatest teacher and as he described it later “His God”!  

Shams e Tabrizi, as he was called, notorious for his sharp tongue, his biting wit, and his pride, being a loner, was looking for a single person in this world who could endure his company and his friendship!

After they met, Rumi invited Shams to his home. There, Rumi and Shams entered a state of deep communication and rapture. They did not eat, sleep, and drink much and sat and talked for days and weeks. Being so consumed by love, Rumi failed to notice the discontentment and acute jealousy of his family and students.  One night, Shams sensing the negative environment and intense pressure, vanished with the moon!

In state of acute grief for separation and longing, Rumi began to whirl and weep for Shams (in Jungian analysis, here the journey toward Self begins). Circling garden pillars, he composed spontaneous poems. Were it not for Shams, Rumi may have spent his life teaching his religious doctrine and living a respectful life, and for sure as a highly educated and devoted Pre-Shams man, he certainly would have been glowing over Konya, but not over the entire world! And although Shams appeared in Rumi’s life only for a short while, he was forever present in the poet’s heart and his artwork. Thanks to Shams e Tabrizi, that by intense and passionate love, Rumi got connected with his own divinity and became a poet of the hearts! And the lovers of poetry who are lovers of feelings!

Here I would like to add that contrary to some common belief, art and poetry are not an ego-driven fabrication.  Surrendering completely to the unconscious requires determination "Hemmat", bravery, and trust in exploring the deep forest of the Self with the risk of disorientation, distress, and loneliness. Through speech and writing, the poet begs a deep conversation with something beyond ego, intellect, and reasoning.

 Poetry is said to be a sacred art, a medium through which both psychological and spiritual wisdom are shared, in other words a holistic spiritual medicine. Through poetry, Rumi lectured on everything from jealousy and greed to the annihilation of the ego and the union of the lover and the beloved. Interestingly, being a master of language, he says, “The word is nothing but a nest for the bird of “meaning.”

We have to consider that sometimes poets do not even understand their own creations! The poets are students of their own work. Very often, they are dazzled by their compositions, but they are not really theirs, yet they promote authenticity, intensity, and passion for articulating the experience of being human, as emotional, instinctual, and vulnerable as it can get.

As Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist maintains, poetry is a discipline of psychological and spiritual significance. One can say Rumi composed poetry because he had to, or didn't know any other way! He saw in poetry a sacred art, a way of reaching the heart of the Beloved, a soul medicine, and the elixir of life that was filled with intense loving and longing verses.