{Islamic Art – The Word (1) [continued (3)]}[14th April 1991]

[Redbook9:97-98][19910414:1104c]{Islamic Art – The Word (1) [continued (3)]}[14th April 1991]

19910414:1104

[continued]

‘The ambiguity of Persian poetry, which oscillates between the worldly, the divine, and often the political level, is typical of Islamic writings. Especially in Iran and the countries under its cultural influence, this kind of poetry formed the most important part of literature. Epic poetry of all kinds developed exclusively outside the Arabic-speaking countries; Western readers look in vain for an epical structure in such long poems (as in the case of the prose romances of the Arabs) and find, instead, a rather aimless representation* of facts and fictions. A similar characteristic even conditions numerous historical works in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, which, especially in classical times, contain much valuable information put together without being shaped into a real work of art; only rarely does the historian or philosopher reach a comprehensive view. The first attempt at a philosophy of history, Ibn Khaldun’s** Muqaddimah, in the 14^th century [ce], was rarely studied by his Arab compatriots.

***

*{U~}

**{ref [[Redbook9:92][19910413:1056l]{Ibn Khaldun’s cycles of history}[13th April 1991],] 92}

***– ibid (Encyclopaedia Britannica) 22:45 (which, see)

[continued]

[PostedBlogger2807for01082024]