67030 - Persian 2 A

Learning outcomes

Through the completion of this course the student is supposed to acquire stronger abilities in the intermediate level of Persian language. He is therefore supposed to able to approach the relevant literature and the problems related to it, by having recourse to the most updated bibliography.

Course contents

Overall theme
A general overwiew of literary culture in Persia in the post-classical era (i.e. 16th-18th centuries): geographic areas, historical periodization, "literary styles", linguistic peculiarities.

Specific contents
The teaching program aims to continue chronologically what has been acquired in the previous year of study, and to deepen some aspects of literary culture which is defined as "beyond classicism".

Persian Literature in Safavid centuries ha been often  referred to as a period of "manieristic" or "baroque" style, or even an epoch "of decadence", an approach that should no more be totally  accepted. In addition, it is planned to introduce the theme of the presence of realities and cultures "different" from Persian, which express themselves in "minor" Iranian languages (namely kurdish or pashtu), as well as in "turkic" ; special mention has to be made to the role played by azeri and chagatay, and - last but not least - to the presence of the Georgian "immigrants", a significant element in the history of Persian culture as a whole.

Readings/Bibliography

Here follows a list of general and reference materials, to be consulted in some specific sections or chapters.

Language: A. PIEMONTESE, Grammatica Persiana in nuce, Roma-Pisa, 2004: an original and innovative work.

Dictionary: A. COLETTI, H. COLETTI GRUNBAUM, Dizionario Persiano-Italiano, Roma,Centro Culturale Italo-Iraniano, 1978. There is a reprint published in Italy in 2006 and subsequent reprinted editions in Iran.
M. PISTOSO, M. C. PUDIOLI (edited by), Dizionario Persiano-Italiano, Roma-Bologna, 2013: actually unfortunatedly limited to a first volume of 731 pages, including alef-dal letters, is also available on CD-ROM.

Literature:

G. SCARCIA, Letteratura Persiana, in Storia delle Letterature d'Oriente, diretta da Oscar Botto, Milano, Vallardi, 1969, Vol. II, see pp. 247-257 and 349-450. By the same author, and in the same volume, one can find an useful chepter named Letterature Turche, essentially an overview of literary production that has benn written in Ottoman and in a language widely spread in Central Asia and generally called "Turkic". Several linguistic realities, (namely azeri and chagatay) are often internal (or contiguous) to the Persian literary world.

G. SCARCIA, Divano Occidentale. Un millennio di poesia persiana, Roma. Viella, 2017: a precious selections of persian (and other islamic languages) poetry in italian translation.

A.M. PIEMONTESE, Storia della letteratura Persiana, Milano Fratelli Fabbri Editori, 1970, of which volume II is specially useful for our aims.

Ehsan YARSHATER, Safavid Literature. Progress or decline?, in "Iranian Studeies", 7, issue 1-2, 1974, pp. 217-270. A classical essay that addresses the question of the aesthetic significance of post-class Persian literature. 

M. PISTOSO (a cura di) Le Affinità imperfette. Elementi letterari e artistici della cultura italiana e persiana a confronto, Bologna, Paolo Emilio Persiani Editore, 2018.

While reading some text in the original language - i.e. prose works  belonging to the post-classical period - we will try to illustrate and deepen - as much as possible - the grammatical and syntactic aspects of the "new Persian".

Here are some texts which may be useful for our purpose: Zeyn al-Din Mahmud Vasifi, Badaye al-vaqaye ("Extraordinary Events"), edited by A.N. Boldyrev, Tehran, Bongah-e tarjome va nashr-e Ketab, 1966, in two volumes. Sadeqi Ketabdar, Majma' al-khavass ("Florilegio degli Eletti"), text edition and persian translation by 'Abd al-Rasul Khayyampour, Tabriz, 1327/1948. Sadeqi Ketabdar, of turkic origin, was a fascinating personality of literati, painter, artist, and librarian. For an exaustive discussion and a translation of chapters of Ketabdar's work one can see A. Welch, Artists for the Shah, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1976, pp. 41-149: the text is a precious and detailed Anthology of persian "Literati" and artists in the Safavid period.

For those who can read persian language (or persian students as well), the small however well informed book by Malek Mohammad Rahimi, Gorgiha-ye Iran ("The Georgians of Persia"), Esfahan, Entesharat-e Yekta, 1389/2012 is a useful book.

 

The aforementioned titles (books, articles and literary sources) are a considerably large number of possible choise. Students who have been able to attend are encouraged to choose 2 texts (or parts of them)  as a support to the contents of lessons. The teacher will be happy to help in suggesting the most suitable ones according to the interests and attitudes of the single students.

Students who are not able to attend (a practice frankly not suggested) may contact the teacher to arrange an "alternative" program and, if it will be the case, a different range of texts.

Teaching methods

 

Language of teaching is in general Italian with possibly references to other languages (namely Persian or English).

The course is intended as a sequence of lessons during which the teacher will share his teaching experience in the field, taking advantage, in the meantime, of any sort of question that will eventually arise from his auditory. A short course of modern Persian language (written and spoken) to be held by a mother language teacher with special qualification is also scheduled. As a form of support to the "official" teaching other events (lectures, conferences, book presentations and so on) are as a rule organized by the chair of Persian. They will be linked, broadly speaking, with the contents of this course. For further information one is suggested to look at the Degree Programme's website.

As a result of the present situation of CV19 pandemia lessons are scheduled to begin in e-learning  mode, i.e. without the presence of students. One is suggested to check the teacher website for an up to date information in how an when things are possibly going on... 

Assessment methods

 

The examination will test the knowledge of the course contents (lessons; individual study texts; and the handbook, and so on).

If the student achieves a complete vision of the topics discussed in class and required for the discipline, provides an effective critical commentary, shows mastery of expression and of the specific language, both written and oral, he obtains excellence in the evaluation.

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

 

Teaching tools

 

 

More or less sophisticated computer tools (videos, computer scripts) or very traditional items (slides, paper, manuscript reproductions) can be used. At the moment the real consistency of these forms of teaching tools is not yet exactly or completetely planned in detail owing to Covid 19 situation.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Silvio Pistoso