Journal of Tourism and Development

Journal of Tourism and Development

A Phenomenological Analysis of Journey in Parvin E'tesami's Divan: A Transition from External to Internal Journey

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Faezeh Seyedbagheri 1
Shahab Talaie Shokri 2
1 Department of Tourism Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Faculty of Islamic Studies, Culture and Communications, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jtd.2026.576764.3184
Abstract
This study aims to explain the transition from extrinsic (objective) travel to intrinsic (spiritual) travel within the poet’s lived experience. To achieve this, it integrates Gunn’s tourism system model (to analyze the objective context) with Bachelard’s phenomenology of imagination (to analyze subjective meaning). Conducted as a multi-stage qualitative research design, the data were first organized through structured content analysis and subsequently interpreted using Bachelard’s phenomenological approach to mental imagery. The findings reveal that travel in Parvin’s thought is not merely a horizontal (earthly) movement, but rather a vertical, transcendental journey grounded in the four classical elements: beginning from earth (symbolizing humility in the face of hardship), passing through water and fire (purifying tears and burning love in confrontation with suffering), and culminating in air (the yearning for ascension in the face of the passage of time). It is concluded that Parvin E’tesami delineates a model of transcendent tourism, wherein the ultimate destination is not a mere geographical location, but rather the attainment of a state of lightness and a phenomenological ascent from matter to meaning.
Keywords
Parvin E'
tesami, phenomenology of journey, Gaston Bachelard, Gunn'
s tourism model, external and internal journey
Journal of Tourism and Development

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 September 2026