Overview

This course explores the significance of literature in the Middle East throughout history. It provides a survey of Arabic literature through a selection of texts on a wide range of topics. In this seminar, the literature will be examined in relation to the contextual settings during which it was written. Students will learn more about the lives of the classical Arab poets and the circumstances in which their poetry was created. Furthermore, we will evaluate how modern Arabic literature addresses social issues, by discussing a sample of modern Arabic literature including poetry, novels, and short stories. Through the readings provided in the course, there will be vivid discussions on the literature in relation to the social context of the period from a variety of perspectives.