A Brief Overview of Medieval Persian Literature

Abstract

Reviewing the origins of a particular literary history allows us to better comprehend the allusions the literature conveys and why we appreciate them. It also allows us to anticipate how the literature may progress (Fouchecour, 2006) I will try to keep this approach in the reader’s mind in presenting this brief summary of medieval Persian literature, a daunting task considering the multiplicity and wealth of the texts and documentation on the subject (Fouchecour, 2006). In this study we will pay special attention to the progress of Persian literature over the last millennia, concentrating in particular on the early development and background of various literary genres in Persian. Although the idea of literary genres is rather subjective and unstable (Perkins, 1993, pp. 29-33), studying them is a worthwhile approach for an overview, enabling better understanding, deeper argumentation, and deeper analysis than would a simple listing of dates, titles, and basic biographical facts of the giants of Persian literature.