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NAME
THE
COUNTRIES!
Rubáiyát
• Best known work of Persian
literature in the West
• Written by Omar Khayyám in 12th
century
• Rubáiyát is the plural form of
rubái, the name of a Persian
poetic form
• A rubái is a quatrain
(four-line stanza or poem, in which
1st, 2nd, 4th lines rhyme)
Rubáiyát
• The entire Rubáiyát
contains 400 quatrains
• 75 of them were
translated into English in
1859
• Omar Khayyám declares
that people should enjoy
life during youth and
appreciate nature
Edmund Dulac (1882-1953)
“The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam”
Rubáiyát
• Uses vivid imagery to
create metaphors
about the brevity of life
and the swiftness of
time
What is a metaphor?
Edmund Dulac (1882-1953)
“The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam”
Metaphor
figure of speech that makes a comparison
between two things that are basically unlike
but have something in common
For example, “time’s winged chariot” compares
the swift passage of time to a speeding
chariot.
What poem is the above example from?
Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”
*Need to know this for final exam!!
Rubáiyát
• The theme of carpe diem is
underscored by the poet’s feeling
that human beings are the pawns
and playthings of an indifferent
God, powerless to change their fate
as they face life’s limitations.
(i.e. God in Paradise Lost: God’s use
of Satan; God’s scheme/setup in
Garden of Eden, etc.)
Counting the Days
What calendar
system do we use?
Hint: from Pope
Gregory, 1582
Gregorian
When does it begin?
From the birth of Jesus, using the designation A.D. (anno
Domini, “in the year of our lord”)
What calendar system did
Omar Khayyám use?
The Muslim calendar
begins with the year in
which Mohammed, the
prophet of Islam, fled
from Mecca to Medina
(A.D. 622)
Background
• The God that Khayyám speaks of in the Rubáiyát
is the Old Testament God.
• Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was the last
in a line of several
patriarchs/messengers/prophets, including
Abraham and Jesus.
What is the name
of the Muslim
religion?
Islam
What are the two
branches of
Islam?
Sunni and Shia
Sunni and Shia
They share fundamental beliefs, although
through the centuries have developed varying
practices.
Differences initially stemmed from politics.
Sunni
* accept the first four caliphs as rightful
successors of Muhammad
(caliph: spiritual leader)
* 85 – 90% of Muslim world
Shia
* regard Ali, son-in-law of Muhammad, as the
legitimate successor
(note: Shiite is term used to designate member of Shia
faith)
* Iran, Iraq, Lebanon