Mazmun

Mazmun is a term used in several languages of the Middle East and Central Asia to denote the content, subject matter, or substantive meaning of a text. In literary theory, mazmun is distinguished from form, style, and technique; it concerns what a work says, its themes, morals, or deeper messages rather than how it says them. The word derives from Arabic maẓmūn "contained" or "what is contained," and it has been adopted into Persian, Turkish, Uzbek, and related literary vocabularies.

In practice, mazmun can refer to the explicit subject of a poem or tale, but it is often the implied meaning delivered through imagery, symbolism, and metaphor. In classical poetry, readers are asked to interpret mazmun by reading beyond the literal words to grasp the intended moral or spiritual significance. In Sufi and didactic poetry, mazmun frequently carries ethical or mystical lessons that are not immediately presented in plain language. In modern criticism, mazmun is discussed alongside form to analyze how a work’s content is shaped by historical context, cultural conventions, and genre.

Across Uzbek and Persian traditions, mazmun va forma (content and form) is a common contrast in scholarly writings, and the term remains a standard part of discussions of poetry and prose. Overall, mazmun centers on the substance of a work—the ideas, meanings, and messages that lie beneath its outward expression.