Can you compare Sufi and bhakti literature?

Let's begin with some definitions. Sufism is a movement
within Islam that emphasizes mysticism. Practices such as chanitng, meditating, and
dancing are used to experience a state of bliss that brings one closer to union with
God.

The bhakti movement of India uses ecstatic singing,
chanting, and meditation to bring the devotee closer to God. In the case of bhakti, the
devotee is trying to get closer to the Hindu Supreme Being. For the case of the Alvars
of south India, God is identified as Krishna. Another key group are the Lingayats,
devotees of the god Shiva. 

In both cases the literature
emphasizes poetry, even song, extolling the virtue of God. Often this poetry describes
God in very personal terms, and uses these familiar terms to describe the devotee's
emotions. The Sufi poet Jelaluddin Rumi described God as a lover, but one who was
sometimes distant, increasing his longing. At other times he was drunk on God, in a high
like one feels when in love. This sort of passionate emotion is also seen in the poetry
of the Bhakti movement. Krishna is all around, but he cannot be seen; he is hiding; he
seems too far away.

If we want to look at some of the major
themes in both we might note all the kinds of feelings one sees in love songs: a sense
of loneliness because one's lover is far away, a sense of anger or upset or even
jealousy that God is not easily understood or sometimes seems to disappoint; a sense of
intoxication or bliss when one is filled with a sense of God's
presence.

One more similarity: both rely on metaphor to
describe the complex relationship the devotee has with God. The Tamil bhakti literature
uses metaphors of scenery and landscape to convey a mood. As mentioned above,
intoxication is a key metaphor for Rumi. The Sufi poet Fariduddin Attar developed an
allegory about the migration of birds across a landscape to describe the Sufi
path.

Finally, both emphasize the point of surrender. God
is all around one. To experience God, one must abandon oneself and be filled with God.
This is perhaps the point of Sufi and bhakti literature.