A Corpus Based Analysis of Rhetorical Devices in Contemporary Persian Children’s Poetry and Their Relationship with Age Specific Readability Indices

Abstract

This study investigates the corpus-based analysis of rhetorical devices in contemporary Persian children’s poetry and their relationship with readability indices appropriate for different age groups. Using corpus analysis methods and quantitative readability measures, a collection of children’s poems published in the last five years was examined. The findings indicate that the deliberate use of rhetorical devices in children’s poetry aligns with various cognitive levels and linguistic abilities, enhancing comprehension and enjoyment. Furthermore, results suggest that readability indices, such as sentence length, lexical complexity, and structural variety, are directly related to effective understanding of texts by children. Systematic corpus-based evaluation of these elements provides practical guidance for poets and educators. This research demonstrates that combining corpus analysis with readability assessment allows identification of effective rhetorical patterns and the design of age-appropriate texts, providing a foundation for future studies in language education and children’s literature.