Rain's Journey

Bejan Baran is an Iranian-American poet and critic. Rain's Journey is his fourth collection of poems. It contains 100 poems, written from 2007 to 2015. He has published 4 books of poetry and literary criticism in English and Persian; with 2 more readied for publication: Four Seasons and Rain's Journey. Baran's poetry is a bridge between the present and the past. The past includes his childhood, his three millennial Iranian cultures, and his youth studying in the West. He is a lyrical poet, whose work has been frequently published in the literary sites in Iran, North America, and Europe. Baran has translated into English, Iranian New poems by Nima Yushij (1895-1958), Ahmad Shamlu (1925-2000), Mehdi Akhavan (1928-1990), Forough Farrokhzad (1935-1967). In literary criticism, he discards the traditional periodization of Iranian literature on the basis of monarchical dynasties; opts for literary styles to anchor poets or poems in history. Born in Tehran, holds a PhD in Electrical/Nuclear Engineering Baran is a lyrical poet, whose work has been frequently published in the literary sites in Iran, North America, and Europe. His poetry is based on love imagery, full of memories of the bygone days in the motherland. His language is rich with alliteration, rhyme, and visual description. His poetry evokes all 5 senses. He has a special affinity for the environment. Bejan has traveled extensively in the 4 continents. For him, poetry is the capture of transient moments in eternal words. It is functional in three areas: teaching, pleasure, and history. Quoting Hafiz, poetry is a "recording in the World's chronicle." In describing a successful poet, Nima Yushij notes, "the new comers follow you from afar in waves."