From Nima to Forough to Sohrab: How to Read a Modern Iranian Poet
October 6 - October 17
2025
Instructor: Maryam Torabi
Languages: English, Persian
Duration: 2 weeks (20 hours of instruction)
Frequency: 5 classes per week (Monday to Friday)
Duration of a Session: 2 hours (8pm Yerevan Time)
Deadline for Applications: September 30th
Classes Start: October 6
Location: Online (Zoom)
Required level of Persian: Intermediate
Text Editions:
- Nima Yushij, Majmu’e-ye Kāmel-e Ash’ār. Negāh 2012, Tehran;
- Ahmad Shamlou, Bāgh-e Āyīnī. Morvārīd publication. 1960, Tehran;
- Fereydoun Moshiri, Sī Daftar. Češmī publication. 1976, Tehran;
- Sohrab Sepehri, Hašt Ketāb,. Zehn Āzīn publication. 1990, Tehran;
- Forough Farrokhzad, Dīvān-e Ash’ār, Gol Āzīn publication. 2007, Tehran
Selected Poets:
Nima Yushij, Ahmad Shamlou, Fereydoun Moshiri, Sohrab Sepehri, Forough Farrokhzad
Participation Fee: 280 USD
Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Fill in all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.
Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor
The Front page of Sohrab Sepehri's Hašt Ketāb (Entešārāt-e Tahūrī, Tehrān, 2001)
Contemporary Persian poetry bridges the rich traditions of classical verse and the dynamic realities of modern Iran. Since the early 20th century, poets like Nima Yushij, Forough Farrokhzad, Ahmad Shamlou, and Sohrab Sepehri have introduced new forms and themes, exploring questions of identity, loss, hope, and resistance. Their work reflects the social and political upheavals of their time, as well as deeply personal experiences. Through inventive language and fresh poetic voices, contemporary Persian poetry offers a vivid window into the cultural and emotional landscape of Iran today.
Course Overview
This 2-week online course offers an in-depth introduction to contemporary Persian poetry, focusing on key Iranian poets from the 20th century. Through close reading, discussion, and interactive language-based activities, participants will engage directly with the original Persian texts, actively learning and practicing the language as an integral part of the course.
The course meets Monday through Friday in daily two-hour sessions. Each session centers on selected poets and works that illustrate major stylistic and thematic shifts in modern Persian verse. We will consider how questions of voice, form, identity, and tradition are negotiated in poetry, and how literary innovation has emerged in dialogue with both internal pressures and global currents.
Participants will be encouraged to read the original text critically and contextually, analyzing every single detail of a given poem. This will help to develop skills to understand even the hidden aspects of Modern Persian poetry. Language learning will be woven into the exploration of texts, supporting participants in developing both their literary insight and Persian language proficiency. The course is designed to build the tools needed to engage thoughtfully and independently with contemporary Persian literature in both academic and literary settings.
By taking this course, you will:
- Learn how to read and think critically about contemporary Persian poems.
- Get to know key poets and movements from the early 20th century to today.
- Explore major themes like identity, gender, revolution, and the push and pull between tradition and change.
- See how poets experiment with language and form to respond to their world.
- Build your skills in close reading and literary interpretation.
- Gain a deeper understanding of how poetry reflects and shapes modern Iranian culture and experience.
Course Structure
The course is structured around five major modern Persian poets, with each poet studied over two consecutive days. For each poet, a curated selection of poems will be read and discussed in detail. These sessions aim to foster critical engagement and language development through active participation with the texts.
Sessions are interactive and flexible, shaped both by the poems themselves and by participants’ questions and insights. While relevant background on poets and literary movements will be provided, the emphasis remains on close reading, critical thinking, and thoughtful engagement with the poetry.
This structure allows participants to explore each poet’s unique voice and contributions to modern Persian poetry, while also building sustained familiarity with the language and literary tradition.
The primary activities for each class session are outlined below:
- Review and discussion of assigned readings in Persian (15 minutes)
- Close reading and analysis of the primary text (40 minutes)
- Break (10-15 minutes)
- Continued textual reading and interpretation (40 minutes)
- Open discussion and participant reflections (20 minutes)
Participants are encouraged to contribute their perspectives and to approach the poems not only as literary works, but also as expressions shaped by the cultural and political realities of modern Iran.
Selected Readings
Days 1–2: [Nima Yushij] – Selected poems:
ققنوس – تو را من چشم در راهم – می تراود مهتاب – آی آدمها
Days 3–4: [Ahmad Shamlou] – Selected poems:
مرگ را دیده ام من – دوستش می دارم – غزلی در نتوانستن – کلید
Days 5–6: [Fereydoun Moshiri] – Selected poems:
بوی باران، بوی سبزه – کوچه – آخرین جرعه ی این جام – کوچ
Days 7–8: [Sohrab Sepehri] – Selected poems:
و پیامی در راه – آب را گل نکنیم – در گلستانه – پشت دریاها
Days 9–10: [Forough Farrokhzad] – Selected poems:
تولدی دیگر – عاشقانه – عصیان – بعد از تو
Methodology
This course employs a structured and insightful approach that integrates literary analysis with socio-historical and cultural perspectives to explore the nuances of contemporary Persian poetry.
Drawing on knowledge of modern Iranian literary movements, political history, and critical theory, participants engage in close readings that uncover the complex relationships between theme, language, and form. This multidisciplinary framework encourages a deeper understanding of how poets reflect and respond to their social and cultural contexts.