Semiotic Analysis of the Status of “I” in the Enunciation of Paul Valéry and Yadollah Royaee A Comparative Study

Various forms of enunciation can be examined in the works of Paul Valéry, French poet and author of the twentieth century, and Yadollah Royaee, the Iranian contemporary poet. The specific characteristic of two poet’s discourses expressed by “me” can be observed, as well as some perceptual and emotional specificities in the enunciation, which are imposed on the reader. In this study, our corpus is La Jeune Parque by Paul Valéry and the booklet Le Moi en Prétérite, Signature (The Me in the Past, Signature) by Yadollah Royaee. Analyzing the different strategies of “vision” and “perception” in the mentioned poems, takes place with the help of the semiotic theories, in particular, the theory of engagement, disengagement, and enunciating instances. The aim of this research is to show that “discourse” is all under the control of “I.” “I” in both poets’ works is dealt with the plurality, and there is a rivalry between various forms of enunciation in search of “identity” as an object of value. “Self” is in the process of becoming and evolving, and to achieve an identity, different instances are in conflict and make tension in the discourse. It is also worth mentioning that the tension is more complicated in Valéry’s discourse compared to Royaee.