At The Bell

What statement from a song, movie, story, proverb, moral of a story, facebook, ---best expresses your views of life.

Poets who offer similar sort of advice about living

• • • Omar Khayyam- not well known as a poet, but in science and math Collection of poetry called Rubaiyat (called that because of their stanza structure) known for beauty/ lyrical quality Sa’di – well traveled man known for 3 major works The Gulistan guidelines for moral behavior makes so much sense, Westerners translated it since 1781.

Literary Analysis

• • Didactic literature- teaches lesson on ethics, or principals regarding right and wrong. It often reflects the values and the society that produces it. A general lesson or moral may be drawn. Common tools of didactic literature: aphorisms, personification, metaphors Objective: look for the moral within each of these didactic works

Literary elements

• • • Aphorisms- short pointed statements expressing a truth about human experience Personification- human qualities to nonhuman things Metaphor figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else

The Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam

• • • • • 11 th century Poems may have been written as a quiet protest against a political ruling Carpe diem- Latin for Sieze the Day- Dead Poet’s Society?

As you read make connections between stanzas What do they suggest about Khayyam’s attitudes and beliefs?

What do you know about explication?

• • • • How we look at a poem....

Evaluate: literary merit- Ancient didactic poetry Specifics- count the lines in each stanza Called ________________ What is the rhyme scheme?

What poetic elements exist?

Count the syllables in each line

• Review questions on pg. 105

From the Gulistan by Sa’di

• • • • The morals in these short tales are stated as passages of verse Didactic tales woven with poems and aphorisms, offer guidance for rulers—guidance that applies to the general population as well Title Gulistan means “Rose Garden” The difference between The Rubaiyat and Gulistan is the first is a didactic poem, while the second is didactic prose w/ morals written in verse.

From the Gulistan by Sa’di

• • • • The morals in these short tales are stated as passages of verse Didactic tales woven with poems and aphorisms, offer guidance for rulers—guidance that applies to the general population as well Title Gulistan means “Rose Garden” The difference between The Rubaiyat and Gulistan is the first is a didactic poem, while the second is didactic prose w/ morals written in verse.

• Many Sufis believe that the best way to reach God is through love. Not the romantic love, but divine love which is the love of a human being for God. When a person truly loves God, Sufis believe, this love fills the person completely and produces a sense of joy and contentment. They believe their love for God causes God to love them in return. The Sufi is drawn to God and eventually becomes united with Him. Once united, the person then loses a sense of his/her individuality. Poetry is the best means for conveying this divine love.

• • Pg. 106 #1 What caused the prisoner to insult the king?

– The king has ordered his execution

• Paraphrase the aphorism “Who washes his hands” and identify the cause an effect it contains

• • • • Someone is about to die (the cause) The person speaks his/her true feelings(effect) Do you agree with this observation?

Think the prisoner behaves wisely?

• • • Do you think deathbed confessions are true?

Think someone who is dying may still want to protect someone left behind?

What about the chance to be pardoned by the king? Think it is foolish to insult the king?

• Paraphrase the aphorism “When a man is in despair” identify the cause and effect it contains

• • Someone has lost all hope (cause) The person speaks without restraining, lashing out at so-called enemies (the effect)

• • Paraphrase the aphorism “In time of need” Explain how it applies to the prisoner

• • • Someone knows defeat is inescapable (cause) So he/she behaves in a self-destructive manner( the effect) The prisoner lashers out at the king who ordered his execution

• What decision does the king make regarding the desperate prisoner?

– He stays the execution

6 pg. 108

• Vocab. Latin root for tort means “twist” –

Extortion- obtain $ through threats, violence

–

Think of other “tort” words-- tortellini twisted pasta

What lesson does the vizier attempt to teach the king?

What punishment is given to the vizier who displeases his king?

• A tyrant can not govern effectively because he destroys his support base

7

• What is the basic message of all the philosopher’s advice in the passage?

Out the Door

What modern aphorism might be a good substitute for the philosopher's words?

• What do you believe you can learn about Persian culture and moral attitudes by reading Sa’di tales?