Modern Persian Poetry

This course examines Persian literature, mainly modern Persian poetry from the 19th to the 21st centuries, focusing on linguistics and literary approaches in contemporary poetry. The course includes a brief overview of different factors which shaped modern Persian poetry, then concentrates on the works of well-known modern poets who had great influence on establishing and developing Persian contemporary poets such as Nima Yushij, Ahmad Shamlu, Mehdi Akhavan Sales, Sohrab Sepehri, Forugh Farrokhzad, Hushang Ebtehaj, Simin Behbahani, and Mohammad Reza Shafi’i-Kadkani. After presenting a short biography and the works of each poet, students read selected poems of each poet and discuss the structure, poetic styles, figures of speech, themes and motifs in the poems. (Conducted in Persian)