In Hafez’ work, his poems are mostly about pleasures that he would not be able to practice in his own life, because he’s a Sufis that practices asceticism. I assume what he had written in his poems were his desires, but it can also be what he had experienced. A glass of wine was what made him try to forget what he was doing, and he continues to do it in one of his poems in order to not feel the guilt. And Hafez truly believed pleasure is what gives you happiness, despite all the heartbreak, drunkenness and everything else that comes with it. It goes against everything he is, but that is humanity.
3 thoughts on “Hafez and Asceticism”
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I agree with your view on Hafez’s beliefs, and I also this that mentality was revolutionary at the time in which Hafez was writing. His writing certainly distanced him from the traditional ascetic beliefs of Sufi in Medieval Times, as shown through his focus on worldly pleasures and desires. Thus, Hafez laid the framework for future poets and writers to empower their voices through their writing and not necessarily conforming to widely held beliefs of the time.
I agree with your points. Even though Hafez practiced Asceticism he still believes you can be connected to god while under the influence. His points are very conversational for the time, like David said. on the question of whether he has experienced the things he talks about, i believe he did.
I am totally agreed with your view on Hafez poem that he used a wine as a symbol to forget the pleasure and desire he is looking for. Like other poets Hafez performed Asceticism and he is not allowed to satisfy his desires like other individuals because Sufis believes that they are attached to god.