OVERVIEW

A course in Arabic culture and literature I.

Number of hours: 36 hours (during the first semester).

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aimes at offering the student the basic notions of Arabic culture and literature through diachronic readings that pays particular attention to the socio-cultural dimentions of the beduine society, as well as to its artistic literary production forms. Within this topic, attention will be paid to the birth and the progress of Al Islam with its social, religious and artistic influences.

Main examples of pre-islamic poetry, early islamic literary production and Quranic prose production will be subject of deep study and analysis.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

To bring the student to know the distribution of the arab population in the arabic peninsula.

To know the pre-islamic  period " The Giahiliyya" (the period of ignorance as it is commonly called).  

To know the pre-islamic poetry and above all the "Mu'allaqat" (the major example of pre-islamic poetry): themes and poetic style. Analysis of chosen verses on each theme is fundamental.

To know about the arrival of al Islam and how it affected the pre-islamic poetry production both in themes and in poetic style. 

The Quran as a linguistic miracle and its influence on literary production. 

Prose and new literary genres: the epistle, the Prophet's biography, Oratory, ...

The period of the califs (the successors of the Prophet) and their contribution to the arabic literature.  

The dinasty of the Omayyady  till 750.

PREREQUISITES

A general knowlege of the the arab world is a plus.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal classs cultures, seminars and internet for films when needed. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The pre-islamic period the V and the Vi centuries. 

A  historical, geaografical and social presentation of the arabic Peninsula. 

The social structure of the tribe and the importance of the figure of the poet.

The Pre-islamic poetic production: main poets, themes and poetic style. 

The most frequent themes of al Ma'allaqat: eulogy either tribal or personal, encomium, invective, voyage, elegy, romantic prelude, memory recollection, and bacchic.  

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

To be decided

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

NASSER AHMED ISMAIL AHMED (President)

LARA MANNI (President)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

Exam schedule