Rereading Historical Identity in the Poem “Miras”: An Analysis of the Tension between Tradition and Modernity from the Perspective of Gadamerian Hermeneutics

“Miras” (Heritage), a poem by Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, is among the most significant works of contemporary Persian literature in representing the tension between historical tradition and modern cultural conditions in Iran. Drawing on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, this study examines how historical identity is reinterpreted and reproduced in the poem. The theoretical framework is based on key concepts such as the fusion of horizons, the historicity of understanding, and the dialogical relationship between text and interpreter, while the method follows a descriptive–analytical conceptual approach. The findings show that the central symbol of the “old coat” functions not merely as a material object or nostalgic sign, but as the embodiment of a historical horizon containing layered meanings of the past and accumulated collective experience. In the act of interpretation, this symbol enters into dialogue with the horizon of the contemporary reader’s lifeworld and, through the fusion of horizons, generates new meanings. By distancing himself from official historical narratives and triumphalist discourses, Akhavan-Sales redefines tradition not as static myths but as configurations of lived experience, historical suffering, and collective memory. From a Gadamerian perspective, the poet’s address to the “child” signifies the historical continuity of tradition through a dialogical act, as the legacy of the past becomes actual only through the interpretive participation of future generations. Thus, tradition in “Miras” appears not as an obstacle to progress but as an open horizon for historical self-understanding, enabling a critical reconciliation between tradition and modernity and a dynamic redefinition of Iranian identity. This affirms its enduring relevance.