75745 - Modern and Contemporary Persian Language and Literature (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students acquire a skill advanced, active and passive, in the Persian language and literature, and ability to deal with texts in their original language, studying independently bibliographic and documentary research.

Course contents

All the linguistic and literary themes of the program will be dealt with by considering the historical context in which they are born and developed chronologically along with the social and political events of the recent history of Iran. A contextual analysis of linguistic-literary phenomena can offer students the opportunity to evaluate the innovative processes of Persian language and literature in a comprehensive picture. The close relationship between the cultural and political phenomena of modern Iran will be the guiding principle of the three parts of the program.

Part I:
Early ferments of linguistic and literary change

The Need for Renewal (1850-1900)

History of linguistic evolution

Language Changes

Social and political themes in literature

The popular language at the service of change

Translation mode and fortune of Western-language translation

Poetry and the constitutionalist Moto

Culture and the Constitutional Revolution (1906-11)

The meeting with European literature

Journalism and satire

Historical novel, travel diaries, popular novel

Part II:
Linguistic and literary innovation

The Persian language and the "Modernity"

Jamalzadeh and Nima Yushij: first exponents of linguistic and literary change

Poetry "New" and "Classic" Poetry: Two parallel currents

Social romance, visionary novel, novel of love

Literature for childhood, social fairy tales, mythical fairy tales

Rural and folk writing

The "Nouvelle vague" in prose and poetry

Satire and its social role

Research on cultural identity and westernization

Part III:
The Islamic Revolution and Its Cultural, Linguistic and Literary Reflections (1979-2010)

Literature at the service of the Revolution

War and resistance in poetry

Religious writing, writing "epic"

New forms of mysticism in literature

Female Literature and Writing

Historical novel, biographical novel, popular novel

Literature and cinema

The Persian language between the recovery of the Arabic lexicon and European loans

Persian language and new mass media

Readings/Bibliography

We recommend the following texts:

Deepening texts
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, The Persian literature, Sansoni-Academy, Florence-Milan 1968
Ch. Balay, Z. Vesel, Aux sources de la nouvelle persane, Paris, 1983
F. Machalski, Litterature de Iran contemporain, I-III, Krakow 1965-1980

Reading texts
S. Hedayat, The Blind Owl, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1960 (then Milan, ES, 1993)
S. Hedayat, Three drops of blood, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1979
S. Hedayat, The Blind Owl. Three drops of blood, Milan, Feltrinelli, 2006
A. Kiarostami, A wolf lurking, edited by R. Zipoli, Torino, Einaudi, 2003
A. Kiarostami, The Wind and the leaf, (Persian text on front), edited by F. Mardani, Florence, The Letters, 2014
F. Farrokhzad, The massacre of flowers, edited by D. Ingenito, Naples, Orientexpress, 2008
F. Farrokhzad, is the only voice that remains. Songs of a woman rebel Iranian twentieth century, edited by F. Mardani, presentation of C. Saccone, Reggio Emilia, Aliberti, 2009
S. Sepehri, Until the flower of nowhere, edited by N. Norozi, presentation C. Saccone, Arcane, 2014
Sh. Parsipur, Women Without Men, edited by A. Vanzan, Milan, Tranchida, 2004
Sh. Parsipur, Tuba and the Meaning of Night, Milan, Tranchida, 2000
Sh. Ebadi, the golden cage, Milan, Rizzoli, 2008
Gh. Saedi, The house next to the forest, by F. Bertotti, Torino, Lindau, 2003
F. Bertotti, The minarets and the sky. Persian tales of the '900, Palermo, Sellerio, 1989
S. Behrangi, The little black fish, edited by M. Casari, Rome, Donzelli, 2008
G. Taraghi, Three Women. Stories from Iran, curated by A. Vanzan, Rome, Ed. Labor

Teaching methods

Lectures, word processing and translation.

Assessment methods

The achievement by the student of an organic vision of the topics dealt with in the lesson and of the knowledge provided for the joint discipline of their critical use, the demonstration of the possession of a mastery of expressive and specific language will be evaluated during the verification.
The oral exam will include the display of a short search for a few pages, a theme, or an author, chosen from among the themes displayed during the course.
It is necessary to prepare for an in-depth text, a part related to the recent historical period (see bibliography) and a literary text.

Grades of assessment
In-depth knowledge of the individual subjects covered during the course will be verified, the ability to contextualize linguistic and literary phenomena and to identify the originality features characterizing literary texts studied. Critical synthesis capacity of the reference bibliography will be evaluated, in addition to expressive properties, in terms of accuracy and appropriateness of language. The global knowledge of the historical-cultural and specifically linguistic-literary period, and the ease in using the reference texts to support this vision, will be evaluated as excellence.

A mnemonic knowledge of matter and synthesis and analysis skills articulated in a correct, but not always appropriate, language will lead to discrete evaluations.
Inappropriate formative and / or inappropriate language, though in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material, will lead to vows that will not suffice.
Lack of training, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographic materials provided by the course will be evaluated negatively.

Non-attendants will need to study an in-depth study, a part related to the recent historical period (see bibliography) and a literary text. Also prepare an elaborate on topics discussed during the course in agreement with the teacher.

However, non-attendants will have to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course and agree on the specific training terms for each course and the verification method.

Teaching tools

Will be made available to the students handouts translated from unpublished material on specific themes and contemporary Persian authors' works are not translated into European languages.

They will be viewed and discussed with students films and documentary films related to literary and cultural phenomena of Iran today.

Office hours

See the website of Faezeh Mardani