There is not a particle of life which does not bear

Poetry within it.

GROUP 9:
Laraib Nawaz
Maria Khalil
Eman Rashid

Gustav Flaubert – French

Novelist
 Topics
Il Canzoniere
Caedmon’s Hymn
Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh

Write
what should NOT be forgotten.
Isabel Allende – Chilean Author
 Il Canzoniere
Outline:

 Introduction of Author  Central Idea

 Introduction of Work  Theme
 Style  Summary
 Petrarchan Sonnets  Major Characters
 Significance in literature  Conclusion
 Il Canzoniere
Who was Petrarch?
 Italian poet Petrarch (1304-1374),
 Best known for the lyric poetry of his
Canzoniere.
 One of the Greatest Love Poets of
literary world.
 A Scholar of Classical Antiquity.
 He was the Founder of Humanism.
 Il Canzoniere

 Petrarch has been called

the first Modern Man.
 He was crowned Rome's
poet laureate in 1341.
 Il Canzoniere

What is Canzoniere?
 Il Canzoniere (“Song Book”).
 Influential work in Western
literature.
 A collection of 366 Poems.
 317 Sonnets, 29 Canzones
 9 Sestinas, 4 Madrigals, and 7
Ballatas.
 Il Canzoniere
 Sequence of Lyric Poems set in:
 Italy, Avignon and France,
during 14th Century.
 Published in Italian (Rerum
vulgarium fragmenta
[Fragments in the Vernacular]),
in 1470.
 In English in part c. 1557.
 Il Canzoniere
 Style:
 Though the majority of
Petrarch's output was in
Latin, the Canzoniere was
written in the vernacular, a
language of trade, despite
Petrarch's view that Italian
was less adequate for
expression.
 Il Canzoniere
Petrarchan Sonnets
Characteristically treats its theme in two parts:
 The 1st 8 lines/Octave: States a problem, asks a question,
or expresses an emotional tension.
 Rhyme Scheme: ABBAABBA
 The last 6 lines/Sestet: resolves the problem, answers the
question, or relieves the tension.
 Rhyme Scheme: of the sestet varies; it may be CDEDCD
or CDECDE.
 Il Canzoniere
Those eyes, ’neath which my passionate rapture rose, (A)
The arms, hands, feet, the beauty that erewhile (B)
Could my own soul from its own self beguile, (B)
And in a separate world of dreams enclose, (A)
The hair’s bright tresses, full of golden glows, (A)
And the soft lightning of the angelic smile (B)
That changed this earth to some celestial isle,—(B)
Are now but dust, poor dust, that nothing knows. (A)
And yet I live! Myself I grieve and scorn, (C)
Left dark without the light I loved in vain, (D)
Adrift in tempest on a bark forlorn; (C)
Dead is the source of all my amorous strain, (D)
Dry is the channel of my thoughts outworn, (C)
And my sad harp can sound but notes of pain. (D)
 Il Canzoniere
 Significance in Literature:
 The Petrarchan sonnet became a major influence on
European poetry.
 It soon became naturalized in Spain, Portugal, and
France
 Also introduced to Poland, whence it spread to other
Slavic literatures.
 Il Canzoniere

Significance
 Canzoniere, provided the model on which the
Renaissance lyric was to take shape and the
standard by which future works would be judged.
 Petrarch, in Canzoniere, established secular
poetry as a serious and noble pursuit. His eloquent
and forceful presence made him a personal symbol
of his own ideas.
 Il Canzoniere
Central Idea:

 Poet’s Love for Laura.

 Met on April 6, 1327, in
the Church of Sainte
Claire in Avignon.
 'In vita' (In life’)
 'In morte' (In death)
 Il Canzoniere

 Themes:
 Religion
 Poetry
 Politics
 Time
 Glory
 Some other themes are desire,
isolation, unrequited love,
and vanity of youth.
 Il Canzoniere
Summary
 As book is divided into two parts. In the first one, that takes about one-third of the
book we can see his infatuation with Laura. He talks about her and the love he feels
for her. The second part, which has about 100 poems, was dedicated to life after
Laura’s death and it was written after 1348.
 Passion and guilt prevail in the first part and his Christian duty is also
implemented. The second part brings us emotions such as the notion of life passing
by, melancholy and disappointment.
 Some of the poems are also about politics. The writer used those parts to
communicate with the artists of his time.
 The book finishes with the word “peace” which is symbolic because the poet searches
for peace the whole time and it was unreachable to him just like the love of the one
he loved.
 Il Canzoniere
Major Characters:
1. Poet
2. Laura
 Conclusion:
 In 1361 the plague started and Petrarch went to Venice.
 He spent the last 13 years of his life in Arqua, Italy and he
died there on July 19th, 1374.
 He influenced the European writing with his Canzoniere
and his style. His other famous works are: “Africa”,
“Secretum” and “On Famous Men”.
MARIA KHALIL
B’S ENGLISH
4 SEMESTER
S20BSEN028
 Outline of the Topic:

Theme & Basic

Who was Summary of Idea of Caedmon’s
Caedmon? Caedmon’s Hymn Hymn

Significance of
Caedmon’s Hymn
Caedmon’s in Introduction of in the
Bible Caedmon’s Hymn development of
Literature

Which Period does

Caedmon’s Age of
Caedmon’s belong
Writing
to?
CAEDMON’S HYMN
 WHO WAS CAEDMON?

 Caedmon a 7th-Century Poet.

 Caedmon was one of the religious writers of the time
 Caedmon (657 – 684) is the earliest English poet whose
name is known.
 Caedmon's only known surviving work is Caedmon's
Hymn, the nine-line alliterative vernacular praise poem
in honour of God which he reportedly learned to sing in
his initial dream.
Works:
Work of Caedmon includes;
i. Religious subjects
ii. Accounts of creation
iii. Songs about future judgement
 W H O I S C A ED M O N I N T H E BI BL E?

 Caedmon (7th century),

 Anglo-Saxon monk and poet,

 said to have been an illiterate herdsman

inspired in a vision to compose poetry

on biblical themes.

 The only authentic fragment of his work

is a song in praise of the Creation,

quoted by Bede.
 C A E D M O N ’ S A G E O F W R I TI N G S

 Caedmon (650?-680?) [Dark Ages] Regarded as the earliest of the Old

English Christian poets.
 The only information about Caedmon is what is noted in the
Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731) by the English
theologian saint the Venerable Bede.
 According to Bede Caedmon was an uneducated cowherd who had a
vision in which a voice admonished him to sing the praises of the
creation.
 This was supposedly the impetus for the poem about the creation
known as Caedmon's Hymn which Bede recorded and which is
available in several dialect versions in Old English.
What is the significance of Caedmon’s Hymn for the development of
English Literature?

 Poem has a claim to being the oldest surviving English poem;

 If Bede’s account is correct, the poem was composed between 658
&680, in the early stages of the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon
England;
 Even on the basis of the surviving manuscripts, the poem is the
earliest securely dateable example of OLD ENGLISH.
 Caedmon’s Hymn
Introduction
 first known Christian poem written in England

 poem has a claim to being the oldest surviving English

poem

 poem was composed between 658 and 680

 short Old English poem originally composed by

Caedmon, in honour of God the Creator.

 the poem is the earliest securely dateable example of

Old English verse

 Caedmon’s Hymn

Themes
 Heaven & earth
 God created the heavens and
the earth for the enjoyment
of men.
 Caedmon praises God for
His creation.
 The poet engages with
themes of religion and
gratitude in ‘Caedmon’s
Hymn.’
 Caedmon’s Hymn
Summary

 short Old English poem

 poet praises God and his creation of Heaven and “middle-
earth” for humanity
 Throughout the lines of this piece, the speaker calls God by
a variety of names.
 He praises his deeds without failing to remind the reader
that he is in control of their lives.
 God created both heaven and earth, he concludes, and
that’s something that tone has to be thankful for.
 majority of these poems were oral, meaning that they were
exchanged only through recitation.
 H O W ’ S C A E D MO N ’ S W O R K D I F FE RE N T
F RO M TH E O T H E R W O RK S O F TH E SA ME T I ME PE RI O D ?

Caedmon was the first of a series of Anglo-Saxon religious poets.

Many English writers of sacred verse attempted to imitate his style, but
none were able to equal him.
Caedmon painted a vivid picture in each story and drew inspiration
from English life and the surrounding landscape for much of his
colorful background.
Whether the poems were truly developed by Caedmon, or whether they
came from one of his imitators, scholars agree that their style is
representative of a long and noble line of Old English poetry.
 Conclusion

 Caedmon’s Hymn belong to old English & Anglo

Saxon period
 This is very interesting and oldest surviving old
English poem.
 Caedmon praises God for the establishment of
universe, formation of human species, creation of
earth.
 FERDOWSI
SHAHNAMEH
This book is written by Persian Poet Ferdowsi
 EEMAN RASHID
BS'ENGLISH
4TH SEMESTER
SUBJECT: POETRY
 Introduction

Important things

Themes of famous poems

Structure of poems

Significance of poems
PRESENTATION
ON Characters of poems
SHAHNAMEH
 FERDOWSI
SHAHNAMEH
ENGLISH EDITION 
 The Shahnameh or Shahnama  ('The Book of
Kings'') is a long epic poem written by the
Persian poet Ferdowsi for Sultan Mahmud
of Ghazni between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is
the national epic of Greater Iran.

INTRODUCTION 

Consisting of some 50,000 "distichs" or

couplets (two-line verses), the Shahnameh is
one of the world's longest epic poems. 
 It tells mainly the mythical and to some extent
the historical past of the Persian Empire from
the creation of the world until the Muslim conquest
in the seventh century. 

INTRODUCTION
Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the greater
region influenced by Persian culture such as Armenia,
Dagestan, Georgia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan celebrate this national epic.
 INTRODUCTION

The Shahnameh is an epic

The Shahnameh contains 62
poem of over 50,000 couplets
stories, told in 990 chapters
It is a religious, historical and written in Early New Persian. It
with 50,000 rhyming couplets.
cultural tapestry, in which is based mainly on a prose
It is divided into three parts—
different layers of the ancient .  work of the same name
the mythical, heroic, and
compiled in Ferdowsi's earlier
historical ages.
life in his native Tus.
PARTS OF SHAHNAMEH 

Mythical Historical
Heroic age
age age
 • According to Jalal Khaleghi Mutlaq, the Shahnameh
teaches a wide variety of moral virtues, like: 
•  worship of one God; 

MESSAGE • religious uprightness; 

• patriotism; love of wife, family and children; 
•  helping the poor.
THEMES
• Although the majority of the stories in the Shahnameh
involve battles and struggles between the forces of
good and evil, other themes include: 
• love
• humor
• the supernatural. 
• One of the principal themes concerns kingship and
the relationship between sovereigns and their
subjects.
 SIGNIFICANCE
Completed by Abolqasem Ferdowsi in the early 11th Century, the
Shahnameh (Book of Kings) is not only a literary masterpiece, but
also a book that has for centuries helped define Iran and the
Iranian peoples, as well as safeguard the existence of the Persian
language.  
CHARACTERS

Pishdadi kings in Shahnameh: 

1. Keyumars          2.Hushang         3.Tahmuras
4.Jamshid               5.Zahhak
6.Fereydun             7. Īraj
8.Manuchehr          9.Nowzar
0.Zaav or Zou         11. Garshasp
 Kayanian dynasts: 

1.Kay Kawād

2.Kay Kāvus       3.Kay Khosrow

CHARACTERS
4.Kay Lohrasp    5. Vishtaspa

6.Kay Bahman    7. Humay Chehrzad

8.Kay Darab        9. Dara II

CHARACTERS

JAMASP        SIAMAK
•SHAHRASP      ABTIN
•KAYANOUSH     KĀVE
•ARASH           SALM
•TUR              QAREN
•TOUS             GOSTAHAM
•GERSHASP       NARIMAN
•SĀM             ZĀL
•ROSTAM         SOHRAB
•ESFANDIYĀR     PASHOTAN
•FARAMARZ      SIYÂVASH
•FARUD          ZANGAY-I SHAVARAN     
•BIZHAN         ROHHAM
•BAHRAM       HOJIR
•GORGIN        ZAVARA
•SHAGHAD     ROSTAM FARROKHZĀD
MALE CHARACTERS •BARBAD      ESKANDAR (ALEXANDER)
List of women in Shahnameh: 

There are many queens, princesses, heroines and witches

in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (Book of Kings), from the Iran, Turan,
the Roman Empire, China, India etc.
• Faranak             Arnavāz
• Shahrnaz           Sindukht
• Rudaba              Sudabeh
• Tahmina             Banu Goshasp
• Gordafarid          Farangis
• Manizheh         Katāyoun
 Tayy, also known as Ṭayyi, Tayyaye, or
Taiyaye, is a large and ancient Arab tribe.

Zahhak

CHARACTERS: 
Mehrab Kaboli

Mardas
 Asjadi Poetry
Introduction :
• Poems written in the 10th century and in the first half of the 11th century
• The time period corresponding to Samanid and later Ghaznavid era are the
mirrors reflecting the national spirit and thought of Iran.
 Features of Period
• Simple language
• Avoiding Arabic
• Avoiding scientific-technical concepts,
• Creating natural descriptions and depictions,
• Preferring short quotes
 Themes
• National pride
• Epic thought
• Independence
 Great Poets of the Period
• Rudaki,
• Daqiqi,
• Farrukhi Sistani
• Zaynabi,
• Masud Razi
• Abu Nazar Abdul Aziz ibn Mansur Asjadi Marvazi (d.1040?) is one of the
leading poets of the 11th century.
 WORK
• Asjadi had praised Mahmud of Ghazni and his sons with his poems.
• His diwan hasn’t reached present time, but his poems are scattered in some
risales and tezkires.
• Especially, his poem about the Mahmud of Ghazni's conquest of Sumenat in
India is included in many tezkires.
• In the period of Persian Poetry ,although Asjadî Marvazi is stated to be an
important poet, there is not enough information about his life and works.
Poetry- I

Semester 4