75684 - Persian Language and Literature 2A (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student has acquired a first set of intermediate level skills in the neo-Persian language; he knows how to deepen the relative literature and the problems connected to it, referring to the most up-to-date bibliography.

Course contents

Contents:

Linguistic part

The course, offered to students of the ARCO three-year degree and those of master's degrees, aims to continue what has been acquired in the first year of the course and to continue to deepen the grammatical and syntactic aspects of the second level of the neo-Persian.

The main contents of the course will be developed on contemporary modern Persian currently spoken in Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan (Dari Persian).

The texts used for the study of the language will offer students the necessary tools for learning the written-literary language and spoken language.

Readings and translations of simple passages of modern literature, suitable for the intermediate level of the study of Persian, will be accompanied by exercises concerning spelling and grammatical-syntactic analysis of the text. In addition, students will be guided to learn grammar rules through exercises and the use of daily conversation texts.

Literary part

The second part of the course provides an introduction to the great linguistic changes that have characterized the language and literary culture of Iran since the mid-nineteenth century. The study of the literary events that gave birth to the new cultural reality of the country will be accompanied by reflections on the great political and social transformations of Iran and the countries that surround it.

The analysis of the works of the first protagonists of modern language and literature will provide the cognitive tools to better understand the Persian literary production of the early twentieth century and its peculiarities.

At the end of the course, the readings in the language of some poetic texts by modern authors will allow students to grasp, albeit to a limited extent, the stylistic modalities of recent Persian poetic writing.

The course starts on Wednesday 21 September 2022

Class schedule:

Wednesday 15-17 Room D Zamboni 38

Thursday     15 - 17 Room I (Zamboni 33)

Friday          13 - 15 Room II (Zamboni 33)

 

Readings/Bibliography

The following texts are recommended

Linguistic part:

Y. Samareh, Persian language teaching (AZFA), Book 2, Alhoda publisher, 1993, Tehran (Available in photocopy at the copy shop in via Cartoleria, 20) Text used during the lessons

D. Meneghini P. Orsatti, Persian language course, Milan, Hoepli, 2012

A. Coletti, Grammar of the Persian language, New Culture, 2007 Rome

F. Mardani, I speak Persian, A.Vallardi, 2005, Milan

F. Mardani, Persian Dictionary, A.Vallardi, 2004, Milan

S. Haim, English-Persian Dictionary, Farhang Moaser, 1368/1989, Tehran

G. M. D'Erme, Grammar of the Neopersian, Oriental Institute of Naples, 1979, Naples

A. Coletti H. Coletti, Persian-Italian Dictionary, Italian-Iranian Cultural Center, 1978, Rome


Literary Part:

Insights

 M. J. Yahaqqi, Manual of contemporary Persian literature and non-fiction, edited by N. Alizadeh Kashani and R. Mauriello, Ponte33, 2018 Rome

Ch. Balay, Z. Vesel, Aux sources de la nouvelle persane, Paris, 1983

F. Machalski, Litterature de l'Iran contemporain, I-III, Krakow

1965-1980

G. Scarcia, History of Persian literature, 1971 Milan

A. M. Piemontese, History of Persian literature, 2 vols., Milan, Fratelli Fabbri, 1970

J. Rypka, A History of Iranian Literature, Doordrecht, Reidel Publishing Company, 1968

A. Bausani, A. Pagliaro, Persian literature, Sansoni-Accademia, Florence-Milan 1968


Readings

B. Soleymani, The last game of Banu, Translation and afterword F. Mardani, Brioschi Editore, Milan 2022


S. Sepehri, An oasis in the moment - Selected poems, edited by F. Mardani and F. Occhetto, afterword by Giuseppe Conte, Ed. Jouvence, Milan 2022 (With Persian text opposite)

A. Shamlu, Abraham in the fire, translation, introduction and notes by F. Mardani and F. Occhetto, preface by Davide Brullo. Ensemble Editions, 2021 Rome (With Persian text)

G. Abdolmalekian, Middle East Trilogy, war, love, solitude, translation, introduction and notes by F. Mardani and F. Occhetto, Carabba Editore, 2021 Lanciano (With Persian text)

S. Hedayat, The blind owl, translation by A. Vanzan, Carbonio Editore, 2020 Milan

S. Hedayat, The stray and other stories, translation by A. Vanzan, Carbonio Editore, 2020 Milan

M. Mastur, Sull'amre and other things, translation F. Mardani, Brioschi Editore, 2020 Milan

F. Farrokhzad, It is only the voice that remains. Songs of a rebel woman of the Iranian twentieth century, edited by F. Mardani, presentation by C. Saccone, Condò editore, 2018 Rome (With Persian text)

Z. Abdi, In Tehran snails make noise, translation A. Vanzan, Brioschi Editore, 2017 Milan

S. Sepehri, Up to the flower of nowhere, edited by N. Norozi, presentation by C. Saccone, Arcane, 2014 (With Persian text)

A. Kiarostami, A wolf in ambush, edited by R. Zipoli, Turin, Einaudi, 2003

A. Kiarostami, The wind and the leaf, (Persian text opposite), edited by F. Mardani, Florence, Le Lettere, 2014 (With Persian text)

F. Farrokhzad, The massacre of flowers, edited by D. Ingenito, Naples, Orientexpress, 2008

Sh. Ebadi, The golden cage, Milan, Rizzoli, 2008

S. Behrangi, The black fish, edited by M. Casari, Rome, Donzelli, 2008

Sh. Parsipur, Women without men, edited by A. Vanzan, Milan, Tranchida, 2004

Gh. Saedi, The house beside the wood, edited by F. Bertotti, Turin, Lindau, 2003

Sh. Parsipur, Tuba and the sense of the night, Milan, Tranchida, 2000

F. Bertotti, The minarets and the sky. Persian tales of the 20th century, Palermo, Sellerio, 1989

S. Hedayat, Three drops of blood, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1979

Teaching methods

Lectures, conversations, listening to recited passages, watching films or documentaries in Persian language.

Assessment methods

The final assessment of the Persian 2 A / Persian Language and Literature 2 A course includes an oral exam divided into two parts: the linguistic part and the literary part.


Linguistic part

 
The student is required to know how to read, translate and define the grammatical and syntactic aspects of one or more passages in the Persian language, already studied during the course. There will also be the compilation of some exercises included in the text and a short conversation in the language on a chosen topic.


Literary part


In addition to the study of the historical-literary notions presented during the lessons by the teacher, the student is called to know, through in-depth texts indicated in the bibliography, essential aspects of the recent literary development of the Persian language and literature. It is also necessary to have read in depth one of the texts recommended among the readings indicated in the bibliography.

Grades of evaluation


The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics addressed in class and of the knowledge required for the discipline combined with their linguistic and literary use, the demonstration of possession of an expressive mastery and specific language will be evaluated with marks of excellence.




A mnemonic knowledge of the subject and the ability to synthesize and analyze articulated in a correct, but not always appropriate, language will lead to discrete evaluations.


Training gaps and / or inappropriate language, albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material, will lead to grades that will not exceed sufficiency.


Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials included in the course will be negatively evaluated.


Important

For those who do not attend courses of 6 credits it is compulsory to study the main text of the linguistic part, to be able to sustain the necessary knowledge of the Persian language (mentioned above) during the exam; study of a text on the history of modern and contemporary literature; the study of a text of readings (see the bibliography) and elaboration of a thesis (translation of the texts from Persian to Italian and vice versa) in agreement with the teacher.


However, non-attending students must contact the teacher at the beginning of the course and agree on the specific preparation terms for each course and the verification method.

Teaching tools

Students will be provided with photocopied daily conversation texts and handouts, translations of passages from the novels published together with the original text, unpublished material on the specific topics covered during the course and on the works of contemporary authors not translated into Italian.

The teacher will provide references to the audiovisual material available online to support the language exercises and literary themes exposed during the lessons.

Office hours

See the website of Faezeh Mardani