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Allegory is a term of long history, wide use and likely vagueness in literary criticism and Persian eloquence. The term is sometimes used as the synonym of symbol, parable, and anecdote. In this article, an attempt has been made to explore the eloquent author's definitions in both old and new literary criticism and Persian eloquence by studying the background of allegory in religious literature and myths. The nature, function and types of allegory will be explored as well. Finally, the differences between metaphor and symbol of allegorical domains will be discussed. 

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In allegories polysemy relates not only to the context and the audience’s understanding but also to the structural characters of these texts. This paper investigates the function of structural and narrative properties in the creation of multiple interpretations of an allegory. Focusing on the events and following a unique story-line is the most important trait in helping to read the allegories. Thus, polysemy in allegories is also related to the number of the story-lines. Therefore, polysemy in allegories depends on two axes: paradigmatic and syntagmatic. In the first process, multiple interpretations are parallel with the various story-lines. These lines are themselves the result of the many characters and sequences. But in the second process, polysemy is only one story-line and based on the various textual meanings may offer different interpretations of one allegory. This classification may lead to some important results in the polysemy of literary symbols in literary texts.

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One of the most important issues in narratologicalstudy of Masnavi is methods of reading and interpreting the allegories. The relationship between this subject and narration is best revealed when we attend to the relationship between interpretations and storylines, regardless of the content of those interpretations. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the methods by which Mawlawiinterpreted the allegories narrated in Masnavi. It can be said that presenting the interpretations on the syntagmatic axis is the most important property of Masnavi. To interpret these stories, Mawlawi reads these as separated storylines, then, presents an interpretation corresponding to each of them. Multiplicity of these storylines is the result of two factors: Multiplicity of characters and Multiplicity of sequences. In this process, the value of main storylines is equal to subsidiary ones. Therefore, sometimes, the motivation (initial interpretation) of telling an allegory is not proportionate to the final and medial ones. The validity of the storylines for presenting the interpretations is both a factor for polysemy of allegories of Masnavi, and a presenter of a narratological explanation for association in Masnavi.