Poetry in Foreign Policy: From Literary Criticism to Political Preferences The poetry readings of Ismail Bakai, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, from Hafez and Molana to Yagmai Jandagi, raise a question beyond the literary taste of a political official: What does poetry do in the language of diplomacy? Does it help to clarify positions or does it sometimes become a cover for sarcasm, generalization and condescension? By examining some examples of surviving references to classical Persian poetry, this essay examines the boundary between literary punctuation and the exploitation of poets' cultural credibility. Zamane Radio.

Poetry in Foreign Policy: From Literary Criticism to Political Preferences The poetry readings of Ismail Bakai, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, from Hafez and Molana to Yagmai Jandagi, raise a question beyond the literary taste of a political official: What does poetry do in the language of diplomacy? Does it help to clarify positions or does it sometimes become a cover for sarcasm, generalization and condescension? By examining some examples of surviving references to classical Persian poetry, this essay examines the boundary between literary punctuation and the exploitation of poets' cultural credibility. Zamane Radio.