The Illuminated Rumi Characters & Character Analysis

The Illuminated Rumi Characters

Jelaluddin Rumiappears in All Sections

Rumi is the poet and writer. He becomes a character in two ways. First, Barks's commentary is an integral part of the book, and his commentary is often biographical about Rumi as a person and a spiritual leader. Rumi was a spiritual teacher, and through his relationship with Shams, a wandering dervish, Rumi developed his own spirituality. After Shams's death, Rumi traveled the world and also became a poet, writing the works in Barks's book, which often referred to Shams.

Second, Rumi is a character in his own poems. The poet is a spiritual teacher, and the poems are his teachings. Rumi is also the spiritual journeyer, trying to find his own place of enlightenment. Rumi talks directly to the reader, imploring the reader to go on a personal spiritual journey, as Rumi has, in order to find enlightenment. Rumi believes the soul comes from an unknown place, someplace where...
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