31611 - Persian Culture and Literature 2

Learning outcomes

 

At the end of the teaching period a student is supposed to have a standard knowledge of the main characters of Persian Literature (i.e. Islamic Period), as well as to be able to take advantage of an up to date bibliography in the field.

 

 

 

 

Course contents

 

Aspects of Persian Literary heritage in modern times: Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

The following texts could prove useful. Most of them are to be found in the Library of the Department or in Bologna Libraries. The teacher will be happy to help students with the support of books, articles or any material which might be useful for further research in this field (in italian or other languages).

The Cambridge History of Iran. From Nadir Shah to the Islamic Republic, a cura di P. AVERY, G. HAMBLY, Ch. MELVILLE, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 7°, 1991 provides a comprehensive outline of modern and contemporary Iranian world and is the basic reference source in this field.

 

Possible authors from whose works is possible to choose texts for grammatical analysis are Khoja Samandar Termezi (Central Asia sec. XVIII), Qa'ani Shirazi (Persia, sec. XIX); For contemporary Iran special attention deserves the "Travel Book" of the brothers bikers 'Abdallah e 'Isà Omidvar, in fact the unique example of this kind of "on the road" literature in Persian language. For Afghanistan Mahmud Tarzi (1900); For modern Central Asia of "Persian" tradition (the language is locally known as "Tajik") the personality of Ahmad Donish is probably the most innovativer.

Here is a list of useful manuals which can prove useful for single chapters or items one can focus on:

A. PIEMONTESE, Storia della Letteratura persiana, Milano, Fratelli Fabbri Editori, 1970, 2 vols. Special reference is kjto the final chapters of II volume

J. RYPKA, History of Iranian Literature, Doordecht, 1968: reference mainly to pp. 305-418 and 480-605.

F. MACHALSKI, La litterature de l'Iran contemporain, Wroclaw, 1965-1980, in 3 vols. Mostly focusing on poetry, provides an important poetic Anthology in the III volume.

H. KAMSHAD, Modern persian prose literature, Cambridge (U.K.), Cambridge University Press, 1967. Second part is totally devoted to Sadeq Hedayat. 

B. ALAVI, Geschichte und Entwicklung der Modernen Persischen Literatur, Berlin, 1964: a precious and well informed work by an author who was himself a talented writer and lived in DDR as political refuje.

For the modern and contemporary "iranian literatures" outside Iran the recent volume Iranian Languages and Literatures of Central Asia from the eighteenth century to the present, edited by M. DE CHIARA e E. GRASSI, Paris, Association pour l'avancement des Etudes Iraniennes, 2015 is an important source

For those who can read Persian (or Persian students as well) a famous manual in two volumes is suggested, namely Yahyà ARIYANPOUR, Az Saba ta Nima. Tarikh-e 150 sal-e adab-e farsi, Teheran, Sherkat-e sahami-ye ketabha-ye jibi, 1975, many reprints in Iran. The text provides a detailed history of Persian literature in modern times (1800-contemporary).

Teaching methods

Language of teaching is Italian with possibly references to other languages (namely Persian). The course is intended as a sequence of lessons during which the teacher (as a sort of temporary"anchorman") will do his best to share his teaching experience in the field; as well as to take advantage 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 (one man shows as well as conferences, book presentations and so on) are as a rule organized by the chair of Persian: they are more or less linked with the contents of this course. For further information one is suggested to take a look at the teacher's website as well to stay in contact with the tutors of the students (i.e. Dr. Maria Elena Lopatriello and Dr.Svevo D'Onofrio, the last in charge of "corso di studio magistrale").

Assessment methods

 

The examination is intended as a simply oral colloquium during which the student is invited to discuss with the teacher the main contents of the course.

The elaboration of a short text (not a proper "research" paper) is by no way compulsory, however warmly encouraged. It may cover any of the themes that have been mentioned during the course. In this case a sort of preliminary arrangement about its content has to be made in advance with the teacher.

 

Teaching tools

 

 

Use of computer facilities as well as of more archaic forms of representations of items (old or even "historical" slides...) may occasionally occur.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Silvio Pistoso