| Part II | Option | Convenor: Dr Charis Olszok |
Course Description 2025-26
This paper introduces students to a selection of advanced texts to enhance their understanding of textual analysis and linguistic expression and to develop their knowledge of literary historical and critical approaches.
This paper combines classical and modern genres of Arabic literature, introducing students to intersections in theme and aesthetics, and the central place of pre-modern literary heritage in the emergence of modern literature. Students will be introduced to a wide range of poetry and prose, studying their contexts and how they might be read comparatively. In this respect, they will be expected to engage with a variety of historical and theoretical and critical readings in addition to their reading of the primary material. Through this focus on classical and modern intersections, the course is themed around the prominence of animals and nonhuman creatures, from the pre-Islamic qasida and the Qur'an to the modern novel. We will read contemporary novels that employ animals to address the dystopia of war or the transition to the modern nation-state. We will also read pre-modern texts, from poetry and the Qur'an to animal fables to philosophical fantasies, in which animals convey moral messages, reflect attitudes to nature and culture, and embody broader Islamic views on cosmology and the place of humans within the world. More broadly, the course aims to expand students’ knowledge of the different registers of literary Arabic, improve their ability to understand complex grammatical constructions, and develop their understanding of interpretive techniques. Set texts, excerpted from longer works and covered in each participatory seminar-style lecture, form the basis of the course content, and will be provided on Moodle. For pre-modern and contemporary works, students are expected to read the texts in full in translation.
Classes and Supervisions
| Michaelmas | Lent | Easter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of classes | 8 (two-hour) | 8 (two-hour) | 2 (two-hour) |
| No. of supervisions | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Form and Conduct
This paper will consist of one commentary on a set text (from a choice of four) and two essay questions (from a choice of eight). Translations must be given for all examples in Arabic. All questions will carry equal marks.
This description is subject to change, for the latest information, students should consult the Undergraduate Handbook available on the Faculty Intranet.