Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 9، December 2026 ، issue Number 127

Analyzing the structure of brevity in the pieces of Jalal Baqai Naini: an approach based on the action-time density model of Gerard Genette and John Austin

Alireza Bafrani (Author in Charge)

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brevity is one of the most important stylistic features of Persian poetry and in the rhetorical tradition, it is referred to as the expression of a broad meaning in few and clear words. In contemporary poetry, brevity, in addition to the linguistic and rhetorical level, can also play a decisive role in the structure of the narrative, the organization of time, and the compression of speech acts. Jalal Baghaei Naini is one of the poets whose short pieces, by simultaneously utilizing narrative, dialogue, humor, allegory, and contrast, have a suitable capacity for studying this type of brevity.

METHODOLOGY: The present study, with a descriptive-analytical approach, examines the structure of brevity in twelve pieces of Baqa"i"s poems. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the concept of brevity in Persian rhetoric, Gerard Genette"s theory of narrative tense, and John Austin"s speech act theory.

FINDINGS: In this study, brevity is not simply considered as the elimination of words or the reduction of the volume of poetry, but rather as a process for condensing events, eliminating intermediate stages of narration, compressing time, and transforming speech into action. The samples are categorized into three groups: narrative brevity, allegorical brevity, and contrastive brevity, and in each sample, the relationship between temporal compression and the action capacity of speech is examined in an integrated manner.

CONCLUSION: The findings show that by reducing the distance between event, speech, and outcome, Baghaei exploits the text"s compact capacity to convey meaning and critical message. In many pieces, dialogue replaces description and explanation, and a short sentence or response takes on the function of several stages of the narrative. Also, the results show that brevity in Baghaei"s poetry is not just a rhetorical device, but according to the examples examined, it can be considered one of the significant components of his personal style.

Keyword
Conciseness , Jalal Baghaei Naini , poetic style , narrative tense , speech act , action-temporal density