The Function of Love in Ibn Rumi and Saeb Tabrizi's Poetry based on Ervin Yalom's xistential Psychotherapy Theory

Criticism of psychology and psychoanalysis in the contemporary period, influenced by the growing prevalence of literary criticism and interdisciplinary studies, has occupied a significant portion of literary research. Given the close relationship between literature and psychology in reflecting emotions, feelings, and individual spiritual factors, this approach has received special attention. Among the topics in psychoanalysis, the theme of love and the exploration of its dimensions and identity as a fundamental human phenomenon are very important. The worldview of poets can be understood by examining their poems on this subject. The concept of love is also a significant issue discussed in existential psychotherapy. The phenomenon of love can be analyzed in the poems and thoughts of poets through Ervin Yalom's theory, due to the conflicts it generates and the dynamics it entails. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this research aims to investigate the theme of love in the poetry of two classical poets—Saeb Tabrizi, a Persian poet, and Ibn Rumi, an Arabic poet—based on Yalom's theory. The study seeks to discuss and examine how this theme is presented and processed, as well as the poets' attitudes toward it. The research results show that both Sa'eb and Ibn Rumi had a profound understanding of love and offered insights for dealing with it. Saeb's poetry primarily explores the mystical and divine dimensions of love, while Ibn Rumi's poetry focuses mainly on the earthly and material challenges associated with love. 
Introduction:
The issue of love has long been of interest to philosophers, scholars, poets, and literary figures, and various views and ideas have been presented about this fundamental human experience. Philosophers and scholars such as Plato, Ibn Sina, and Rumi have spoken about this important issue, but the nature of this phenomenon remains not entirely clear. Contemporary theorists and researchers have attempted to present their own specific definitions of love by examining and defining it according to new theoretical foundations and emerging knowledge. Among the various perspectives and approaches that discuss love, psychotherapy in general, and the theory of psychotherapy developed by Irvin Yalom addresse concerns such as death, loneliness, absurdity, love, fear, and so on. This approach has been influenced by the humanist movement and the philosophy of pragmatism in America.
Yalom has offered a newly updated perspective on the definition of love, addressing how human beings experience love in the context of modern conditions. He attempts to provide a clear understanding of how individuals confront the phenomena of love and loneliness. While explaining the principle of communication in his theory, he discusses love and poses the question: What is the original relationship? The original connection is Martin Buber's. The person that communicates with unique individuals, not an object. This original relationship reflects the love described in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, rather than love that merely alleviates loneliness. From Eric Forum's point of view, the genuine love is not about being loved passively. True love is an active process that involves care, self-sacrifice, and attention.
Love stops people from communicating with others for mixing and removing loneliness. It should be noted that love, according to the mechanisms of Yalom and in the classical Persian and Arabic literature, is discussed in this literature due to the extensive scope of love. Love can be considered one of the most important themes of classical Persian and Arabic poetry so that the office and poetry of most classical Persian and Arabic poets are considered as special and independent of love and issues. Investigating these poems from the perspective of new theories can further determine the place and importance of such poems and explain how the poet's view and the depth of his thinking about love and related subjects. The present study seeks to examine the same subject in the poetry of two Persian and Arabic poets, Saeb Tabrizi and Ibn Rumi based on the theory of psychotherapy for Erwin Yalom.
Method:
The present study aims to examine the theme of love in the poetry of two poets, Saeb Tabrizi and Ibn Rumi, from Persian and Arabic traditions, respectively. This is managed via using Erwin Yalom's psychotherapy theory. It seeks to answer the following questions: What are the effects of love in the poetry of two poets based on Erwin Yalom's theory? What is the attitude towards love in the poetry of these two poets according to Erwin Yalom's theory?
Results:
After examining the love poems of the two poets through the lens of existential psychotherapy, it was found that Saeb Tabrizi resembles a psychotherapist. Anyone seeking solutions to existential disruption can gain insight from his works. By spending time with his poems, reflecting on them, and uncovering their hidden meanings, readers can discover effective ways to cope with various forms of loneliness, including existential loneliness.
Conclusion:
Saeb's poems, which reflect his view of life, convey that he considers relationships with others—whether earthly or divine—as a way to live fully and alleviate loneliness. To purify the path of love, he suggests that true love lies in the other; in other words, genuine love is to be completely immersed in another person. Saeb suggests to his audience, who are full of purity, kindness, honesty, and trust, that this love is free from superficial friendship. It embodies tolerance, unity, and mutual support, raising the level of both social and individual life. This love also instills confidence in others, which is one of the most important components of healthy relationships. Because it diminishes the intensity of that inaccurate aspect of existential loneliness and, in a proper form, places us as human beings in relation to others. Regarding the outcome of Ibn Rumi's poetry, it can be said that his work contains two types of loneliness: enforced and optional. Enforced loneliness occurs when the poet is cast into a solitary sea due to the absence of family or a lover, experiencing this solitude deeply with both soul and heart. The poet has used this experience as an opportunity for growth and flourishing. The second stage is when the poet prefers loneliness over being among people. He considers loneliness a blessing that leads to self-knowledge, prosperity, and inner harmony. The poet views love as a means to alleviate the pain of loneliness or at least lessen its suffering.
Ibn Rumi dislikes the need and expectations in love. Although he is a poet of Maddieh, in matters of love, the focus is solely on the pleasure and alleviation of lonely suffering, and nothing else. He advocates for doubt and patience to truly attain and enjoy love, while rejecting hasty expectations. The poet also advocates self-sacrifice and kindness in love, urging others to create lasting joy. Being united with another is one of the ultimate goals in Ibn Rumi's romantic worldview. The poet views the human being as inherently incomplete, and it is this deficiency that leads to existential loneliness. Man is saved from loneliness, and his pain and suffering come to an end through patience. All in all, both poets have depicted love in various forms, including love intertwined with loneliness, unrequited love, the promotion of friendship, and self-sacrifice in the face of love. Ultimately, love is portrayed in their poetry through the figure of a lover. The poets' attitude toward love is positive; they view it as a source of fulfillment and a means of alleviating human suffering.