Classical Persian (Chinese)

The study of oral traditional elements in Classical Persian poetry was recognized by Albert Lord (1986:476). The monumental poem known as the Shahnama of Ferdowsi is a case in point. Its poetic diction reveals a system of phraseology that approximates Lord's definition of the formula in oral tradition studies (Davidson 1988). To the extent that formulaic structure is a basic feature of oral traditional poetry (Lord 1960), the diction of the Shahnama provides conclusive evidence for the oral traditional poetic background of this poem.Not