An Intertextual Analysis of James Clarence Mangan's The Soffees' Ditty in Relation to the Koran and Sufism


Arikan A., Uzun K.

SELCUK UNIVERSITESI EDEBIYAT FAKULTESI DERGISI-SELCUK UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF FACULTY OF LETTERS, cilt.46, ss.23-42, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849) expressed the Middle East's cultural and social atmosphere in his literary works. Except for some poems claimed to be translations, he has written original poetry as well. As a result of his interest in spiritualism and mysticism, Mangan was particularly interested in Sufism, an ancient belief centered in the Middle East and frequently called Islamic mysticism in the West. He also had a grasp of the literary canon of the prominent Sufi teachers, and he used Sufi doctrines in the texts he produced. One of these texts, The Soffees' Ditty is exceptionally intriguing with its seven chapters including both prose and verse. Stylistically, prose sections begin with "Bismillah!", which requires further stylistic and intertextual analysis. Hence, the intertextual analysis conducted revealed that each section preceding the verse and written in prose include various allusions to specific verses of the Koran.