Ali Babachahi, a poet and literary critic who passed away on March 24 at the age of 83, was an influential figure in contemporary Iranian poetry whose name is associated with modernism, theoretical seriousness, and insistence on the independence of poetry.

This poet, whose works were deeply connected to his lived experiences, was not only a poet, but also reacted to the poetic trends of his time in the field of literary criticism with an analytical and sometimes challenging perspective, and reflected on the nature of poetry and its relationship to meaning and audience.

Although times were not kind to him, and despite forced retirement and political restrictions, he did not distance himself from poetry and criticism, and remained a serious defender of poetry during times of crisis and censorship.