Postgraduate Course: Of Wine, Love and Loss: Reading Iran through Classical Persian Literature (PG Version) (IMES11077)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In this course we will explore Iranian culture and society through the works of some of the key authors of classical Persian literature in English translation. The course does not require prior knowledge of Iran or Persian literature. Topics in the course include the study of the Shahnameh, the Persian epic that preserved pre-Islamic Iranian myths and monarchical history, and examining the way it continues to influence modern day Iranian culture over 1000 years after its composition. We will read the works of some of the greatest mystics, such as Attar and Rumi, through The Conference of the Birds and sublime verses that reflect Rumi¿s yearning for his beloved Shams. The love poems of Hafez, the ghazal-composer par excellence, and their renditions in modern Persian music will give us an insight into both the genre of Persian ghazal and poetry as well that of their relevance in modern day Iran. This course is jointly taught with undergraduate students. |
| Course description |
In this course we will explore Iranian culture and society through the works of some of the key authors of classical Persian literature in English translation. The course does not require prior knowledge of Iran or Persian literature. Topics in the course include the study of the Shahnameh, the Persian epic that preserved pre-Islamic Iranian myths and monarchical history, and examining the way it continues to influence modern day Iranian culture over 1000 years after its composition. We will read the works of some of the greatest mystics, such as Attar and Rumi, through The Conference of the Birds and sublime verses that reflect Rumi¿s yearning for his beloved Shams. The love poems of Hafez, the ghazal-composer par excellence, and their renditions in modern Persian music will give us an insight into both the genre of Persian ghazal and poetry as well that of their relevance in modern day Iran. This course is jointly taught with undergraduate students.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
3000 Word Essay - 65%
1500 Word Short Assignment - 25%
Class Presentation - 10%
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of Iranian culture and history through its literature.
- Develop an understanding of the continuing influence of classical Persian literature on Iranian expressions of identity.
- Engage critically with academic literature and research related to the topics and themes of this course.
- Gain an overview of the history and development of classical Persian literature.
- Develop analytical skills to undertake secondary-source research and present oral and written work clearly and effectively.
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Reading List
Arberry, A. Classical Persian Literature. London, 1958.
Arberry, A. Persian Poems: An Anthology of Verse Translations. London, 1954 (and reprints).
Boyle, A. et al. (eds.). The Cambridge History of Iran Volume 5. The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. 1968.
Browne, E.G., A Literary History of Persia, Cambridge, 1924. 1-4
Browne, E. G. The Press and Poetry of Modern Persia. Cambridge 1914.
Chittick, W. C. The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi. Albany, 1983.
Daftary, F. A Short History of the Ismailis: Traditions of a Muslim Community. Edinburgh, 1998.
Dashti, Ali. In Search of Omar Khayyam. trans. L.P. Elwell-Sutton. London, 1971.
Davis Richard. Borrowed Ware: Medieval Persian Epigrams. London, 1996.
De Bruijn J. T. P. Persian Sufi Poetry: Introduction to the Mystical Use of Classical Persian Poems. Richmond, 1997
Encyclopaedia Iranica
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
Hunsberger, Alice C. Nasir Khusraw, the Ruby of Badakhshan: A Portrait of the Persian Poet, Traveller and Philosopher. London, 2000.
Meskoub, Sh. Iranian Nationality and Persian Language, trans. Michael Hillmann. Washington, 1992.
Morgan, D. O. Medieval Persia 1040-1797. London, 1988.
Morrison, G. History of Persian Literature from the Beginning of the Islamic Period to the Present Day. Leiden, 1981.
Rypka, J. History of Iranian Literature. Dordrecht, 1968.
Schimmel, A. The Triumphal Sun: A Study of the Works of Jalal ud-Din Rumi. London, 1978.
Schimmel, A. A Two-Coloured Brocade: The Imagery of Persian Poetry. N. Carolina, 1992.
Seyyed Ghorab, A. A. Layli and Majnun: Love, Madness and Mystic Longing in Nezami¿s Epic Romance. Leiden, 2003.
Talattof, K. and Clinton, J. (eds.) The Poetry of Nizami Ganjavi: Knowledge, Love, and Rhetoric. New York, 2000.
Yarshater, E. (ed.) Persian Literature. New York, 1987. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
PG Version of IMES10076 |
| Keywords | OWLaL |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Nacim Pak-Shiraz
Tel: (0131 6)50 8432
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Iain Sutherland
Tel: (0131 6)51 3988
Email: |
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