دانشگاه اصفهان پژوهش نامه روانشناسی مثبت 2476-4248 11 3 2025 11 22 Psychological Analysis of Parvin Etesami’s Poetry from a Positive Psychology Perspective Based on the Six Virtues of Positive Psychology تحلیل روان‌شناختی اشعار پروین اعتصامی با رویکرد روان‌شناسی مثبت (بر اساس 6 فضیلت روان‌شناسی مثبت) 25 44 30525 10.22108/ppls.2026.147447.2686 FA کامران شیوندی دانشیار، گروه روان‌شناسی تربیتی، دانشکدۀ روان‌شناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران زهرا وحیدنیا دانشجوی دکتری، گروه روان‌شناسی تربیتی، دانشکدۀ روان‌شناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران Journal Article 2025 11 14 Interdisciplinary studies characterize the contemporary scientific world. Besides, adopting a psychological perspective on major literary works can deepen understanding of these texts while providing opportunities to apply insights from such works to convey psychological concepts. Parvin Etesami, a prominent contemporary poet, imparts ethical teachings and guidance for human well-being through various poetic forms, narratives, and allegories. This qualitative study was conducted using a deductive thematic analysis approach, aiming to examine the relationship between the themes in Etesami’s poetry and the virtues of positive psychology. The population of this study included the entire Divan of Parvin Etesami, which was analyzed using a census method. The unit of analysis was the couplet. The findings indicated that the themes in Etesami’s poems align with the principles of positive psychology. The most frequently recurring themes were those related to the virtue of wisdom, among which “love of learning” appeared prominent. Following this, the most common themes pertained to the virtue of temperance, with Etesami placing strong emphasis on self-regulation and the control of desires, as well as recommending prudence and foresight. Findings beyond Seligman's model are also evident in Parvin Etesami's poetry: the value of art, seizing opportunities, avoiding bad companions, and endurance, indicating that Parvin had a deeper perspective on human virtues. The application of these concepts, alongside the virtues and strengths highlighted by positive psychology specialists, can transform Parvin's teachings into a valuable resource for completing and enriching the teaching of moral virtues in positive psychology. <strong>Introduction</strong><strong>^*</strong> Literature offers valuable insights into individuals and societies, making interdisciplinary studies between literature and psychology significant. Positive psychology identifies virtues and character strengths that foster well-being and flourishing (Carr, 2004). Peterson and Seligman (2004) outlined six universal virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Parvin Etesami’s poetry features numerous moral and educational themes related to these virtues. This study aims to examine how the six virtues identified in positive psychology are represented in the poetry of Parvin Etesami, to determine the relative frequency of these virtues and the factors contributing to their prominence, and to identify the character strengths associated with each virtue, as well as the mechanisms through which they are cultivated in her poetic teachings. <strong> </strong> <strong>Method</strong> This qualitative study employs deductive thematic analysis, with codes selected based on a predetermined theory. The theoretical framework is grounded in the six virtues of positive psychology as classified by Peterson and Seligman (2004). The research corpus comprises the entire Divan of Parvin Etesami, published during the poet's lifetime with an introduction by Malek osh-Sho'ara Bahar, consisting of 5,600 couplets in the forms of odes, masnavis, and fragments. The sampling method was a census, and the unit of analysis was the couplet. The research was conducted following the phases outlined by Clarke and Braun (2006). Initially, the researcher conducted repeated readings of the poems and related works on Parvin Etesami to become familiar with the poet's mindset and the depth and richness of the text. Subsequently, each couplet was assigned to concepts derived from positive psychology virtues based on its theme, and coding was performed manually via note-taking. To ensure the reliability of the results, the entire corpus was re-examined and coded using MAXQDA 2022 software, and basic themes were extracted. Basic themes were then merged, repetitive themes were removed, and themes belonging to each virtue were grouped, resulting in organizing themes. To assess validity, the opinions and guidance of three professors of Persian Language and Literature from Tarbiat Modares University and Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran were utilized. Reliability was assessed using a single-coder method with two rounds of coding (manual and computer-assisted). Holsti's coefficient was calculated, yielding 0.79.   <strong>Results</strong> The findings reveal a substantial alignment between the teachings of Parvin Etesami and the six core virtues identified in Peterson and Seligman’s Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues (2004): Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence. In response to the first research question, a systematic examination of Parvin E'tesami’s poetry demonstrates that all six virtues are represented throughout her Divan. Wisdom is reflected in themes such as the importance of knowledge, love of learning, criticism of ignorance, advocacy of women’s education, reliance on rational judgment, avoidance of actionless speech, and perspective. Courage appears through themes related to speaking the truth, perseverance, and sustained effort. Humanity is represented through friendship, kindness, and helping vulnerable individuals. Justice is reflected in themes of wise leadership and criticism of social injustice. Temperance emerges through prudence, self-regulation, control of desires, humility, and avoidance of selfishness. Transcendence is represented through purity, integrity, spirituality, remembrance of God, and seeking divine assistance. In addition to these six virtues, several themes extending beyond Seligman's model are identified: appreciation of art, valuing opportunities, avoiding bad companions, and practicing patience. These themes suggest a broader and deeper perspective on human excellence in Parvin Etesami’s poetry. Regarding the second research question, line-by-line coding of the Divan indicates that Wisdom is the most frequently recurring virtue. Among its associated character strengths, Love of Learning receives the greatest emphasis. Temperance ranks second in frequency, with particular attention given to self-regulation and control of desires, followed by prudence and future-oriented thinking. The prominence of these two virtues reflects Parvin E'tesami’s concern with education, particularly for women, as well as her emphasis on moderation and self-discipline as essential foundations of moral development. The remaining virtues, including Humanity, Courage, Justice, and Transcendence, appear with lower frequencies. In response to the third research question, the findings indicate specific mechanisms by which each virtue can be cultivated. Wisdom and Knowledge are attained through curiosity, love of learning, and deep contemplation directed towards discovering truth. A wise individual avoids actionless speech and follows reason rather than personal desires. Courage is primarily achieved through persistent effort and perseverance despite obstacles. Individuals with courage speak the truth without fear, even in difficult circumstances. Humanity is cultivated through kindness, empathy, and assistance to disadvantaged individuals. Justice is promoted through awareness of social injustice and acceptance of wise leadership, often symbolized by metaphors such as a captain guiding a ship. Temperance is achieved through self-regulation, prudence, future-oriented thinking, and humility. Transcendence is cultivated through spirituality, trust in God, and reliance on divine guidance. These virtues are conveyed through simple language, stories, allegories, and vivid metaphors that make moral teachings understandable and accessible to a wide audience.   <strong>Conclusion</strong> This study examined the representation of positive psychology virtues in the poetry of Parvin Etesami using Peterson and Seligman’s Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues (2004). The findings indicate that the major virtues proposed in positive psychology are reflected in Parvin E'tesami’s poems. Among these virtues, Wisdom and Temperance receive the greatest emphasis, highlighting the poet’s commitment to education, self-discipline, rational thinking, and moral development. The frequent emphasis on learning, particularly women’s education, reflects her awareness of the social and cultural challenges of her time and her efforts to promote intellectual and ethical growth through literature. The findings also suggest that Parvin Etesami’s conception of virtue extends beyond Seligman's model. Themes such as appreciation of art, valuing opportunities, avoiding harmful companionships, and practicing patience reveal additional dimensions of human excellence not explicitly emphasized in positive psychology models. These findings support the view that classical Persian literature can contribute valuable insights to contemporary theories of character and virtue. Parvin Etesami not only describes virtues but also offers practical pathways for cultivating them through simple language, narratives, allegories, and vivid metaphors, making her poetry particularly suitable for moral and character education. Despite these contributions, the study was limited to analyzing a single poet’s works. Future research may compare positive psychology virtues across different Persian poets and literary traditions. The findings also suggest that Parvin Etesami’s poetry can serve as a valuable resource for culturally grounded educational programs promoting character strengths, moral development, and psychological well-being.   <strong>Ethical Consideration:</strong> <strong>Compliance with Ethical Guidelines:</strong> This research adheres to the fundamental ethical guidelines for literary and textual studies, including the avoidance of plagiarism, accurate representation of the original text, and respect for intellectual property rights. <strong>Authors' Contributions:</strong> Both authors contributed equally to all stages of this research, including study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of findings, manuscript writing, and final approval of the version to be published. <strong>Conflict of Interest:</strong> The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. <strong>Funding:</strong> This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. <strong>Acknowledgement:</strong> The authors thank three professors of Persian language and literature for their valuable guidance and for validating the themes.         *. Corresponding author دنیای علم امروز دنیای مطالعات میان‌رشته‌ای است. نگاهی روان‌شناسانه به آثار ادبی بزرگ به فهم عمیق‌تر این آثار کمک می‌کند. پروین اعتصامی یکی از شاعران معاصر است که در قالب انواع شعر و داستان و تمثیل سعی می‌کند آموزه‌های اخلاقی و توصیه‌هایی برای سعادت انسان ارائه دهد. این پژوهش با رویکردی کیفی و از نوع تحلیل مضمون قیاسی انجام شده‌ است و هدف آن این است که مضامین منتخب اشعار پروین اعتصامی را از دیدگاه بازنمایی فضیلت‌های روان‌شناسی مثبت بررسی کند. جامعۀ این پژوهش کل اشعار دیوان پروین اعتصامی است که به روش تمام‌شماری بررسی شده‌اند و واحد تحلیل در این پژوهش بیت بوده است. یافته‌ها نشان داد مضامین اشعار پروین اعتصامی هم‌راستا با روان‌شناسی مثبت است و بیشترین مضمون تکرارشونده در اشعار پروین اعتصامی، مضامین زیرمجموعۀ خردمندی است و از میان توانمندی‌های خردمندی، بیشترین تأکید بر عشق به یادگیری بوده ‌است. پس از آن، بیشترین مضمون تکرارشونده، توانمندی‌های زیرمجموعۀ اعتدال است که از این میان، پروین اعتصامی بیشترین تأکید را بر خودنظم‌بخشی و کنترل هوی و هوس داشته ‌است و در ادامه، احتیاط و آینده‌نگری را توصیه کرده ‌است. مضامین فراتر از مدل سلیگمن نیز در اشعار پروین اعتصامی، از جمله ارزش هنر، فرصت را غنیمت‌شمردن، همنشین بد و بردباری، نشان می‌دهند پروین نگاهی عمیق‌تر به فضایل انسانی دارد. به‌کارگیری این مفاهیم علاوه بر نکات و فضایلی که متخصصان روان‌شناسی مثبت اشاره کرده‌اند، می‌تواند آموزه‌های پروین را به منبعی ارزشمند برای تکمیل و غنی‌سازی آموزش فضایل اخلاقی در روان‌شناسی مثبت‌ تبدیل کند.   https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/article_30525_2bda8f04f96c7d220f60e8983aa1b30e.pdf