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  Metalepsis is divided into two types: first, the movements from extradiegetic to diegetic levels; and second, the movement from diegetic to extradiegetic levels. This article analyzes the various modes of the first type of metalepsis in Mathnavi. Mathnavi can be considered as the most prominent example of narrative text in Persian literature with instances of transgression of levels.

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Metalepsis, in its narratological sense, is a trope in which an unnatural relationship is built between different levels of narrative. The natural relationship between narrative levels is formed by the act of narrating; a character from one level becomes the narrator of another. The term “Metalepsis of topic and illustration” can be coined to name a similar trope. This trope has been used for centuries in Persian poetry. Every Image comprises a topic and an illustration. The topic is what is being talked about and the illustration is what the topic is compared to. When several images are present along together, two different levels are distinguishable: the level of the topic and the level of illustration. The natural relationship between these two levels is similarity and any other relationship will result in metalepsis. As in the narratological metalepsis, there is always a paradox in the metalepsis of topic and illustration. The effect of these two kinds of metalepsis is also similar and can be humorous, fantastic, or a mixture of the two.