"READINGS IN URDU
LITERATURE"

MDES W4636 -- SPRING 2013
Tu Th 6:10-8:00; 114 Knox Hall
Prof. Frances Pritchett
 

*General Course Description*

*Course Materials*

*Week-by-Week Syllabus*

*Other Past/Future Course Topics*

 
==> PREREQUISITE! <==
Completion of the second semester of Intermediate Hindi-Urdu (MDES W1613y), or consent of the instructor. If you are uncertain about your eligibility, check with Prof. Pritchett <fp7@columbia.edu>.

General Course Description:

        This course is open to both undergraduates and graduates, subject to the above prerequisite. The course is repeatable, and the content changes every semester. It is two things at once: an advanced language course, with practice in speaking, understanding, vocabulary use, reading, writing, and grammatical analysis; and a literary course, with exposure in depth to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry.

        The Tuesday class will be devoted to work with written materials-- reading, grammar, writing practice, etc.-- and will be conducted by FWP. The Thursday class will vary in nature, but the second hour of it will often feature topics, and use formats, selected by students (details to be arranged in class).

        Because the course is repeatable, and naturally for other reasons as well, students in the course will have widely varying backgrounds in the language. Grading will therefore be entirely individual. Your grade will be determined by an assessment of your performance in relation to your background and capabilities, not by ranked comparison between you and the other students in the class.

        Grading will be based on two components. Half of your grade will be based on general class performance--including regular attendance (a record will be kept), participation, preparation of reading and homework assignments, and a two-hour final exam. The other half of the grade will be based on an individual project, suitable to your level, that you will discuss with the instructor, formulate in writing, carry out in the course of the semester, and demonstrate in the course of an individual half-hour interview at the end of the semester. Projects can range from learning vocabulary words or memorizing poetry, through doing translations or readings, to writing major research papers or essays, in English or Urdu. THIS SEMESTER (Spring 2013), however, there will be an unusual and interesting "independent project" strongly recommended for everybody. To opt out of it will require special permission and a good and persuasive reason. 
 

COURSE MATERIALS:

== REQUIRED: Ralph Russell and Khurshidul Islam, "Ghalib: Life and Letters" (Harvard 1969 and many reprints). I will have a bunch of these available, if you want to buy one. Amazon has them too, and Butler Library.

== REQUIRED: Access to a Platts’ Dictionary. It is strongly recommended that you get your own. I have some on hand right now (an exceptional value at $30) for those who want them. Copies are on reserve at Butler Library and the East Asia Library (3rd floor of Kent), and one is in the MEALAC reading room too. This is the best single work for any serious Urdu student to own. This invaluable text is also now online through the Digital South Asia Library.

== Highly recommended: M. A. R. Barker et al., Urdu-English Vocabulary: Students' Pronouncing Dictionary (Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, Inc., 1991 [1980]). Excellent vocabulary-building tool, with frequency count so you can target the most common words. Available through amazon.com.

== If you feel the need of some review, take a look at C. M. Naim, Introductory Urdu, Volume 1 (Chicago: South Asia Language & Area Center University of Chicago, 1999: online through the Digital South Asia Library. (It is also on reserve at Butler.) To make this text more useful, I've given links to some of the *main grammar topics*.  This text also features a thorough account of the Urdu *SCRIPT*. I also have some *script-related thoughts of my own* online.

== You should also check out the Urdu/Hindi language/literature page on my website for many other resources. A notable one is the *THE DATELIST OF URDU LITERARY FIGURES*, a comprehensive database on Sean Pue's website.

== You also might find useful some of the audio- and videotapes in our Language Resource Center, or texts and grammar books in our Butler Reserve reference collection.

== Just for a treat, take a look at my calligraphy collection.

== You might also like to join the Urdulist, a small listserv based at Columbia for those who are seriously interested in Urdu literature; *here's how to subscribe*.

== Are you fond of modern poetry? M. A. R. Habib's facing-text reader, *An Anthology of Modern Urdu Poetry* (New York: MLA, 2003) is a bargain, and might be just what you'd enjoy.

== And if you are really serious about the poetry-- *Urdu Meter: A Practical Handbook* is at your service.

More details will be added here, and any necessary changes made, as the semester progresses. Please check this syllabus regularly for all current information.

WEEK ONE == Tu. Jan. 22, Th. Jan. 24
Read this *overview* and *introduction*, and take a look at *Ghazal {1}* and  *Ghazal {23}*. Bring $15 for "Ghalib: Life and Letters" (if you'd like to get a copy from FP)
= Th. -- further practice with technical terminology and recitation skills, using also *Ghazal {58}*; a handout will be provided. Bring $30 if you'd like to get a copy of Platts' Dictionary from FP.

WEEK TWO == Tu. Jan. 29, Th. Jan. 31
Ghazal {230} and Ghazal {81}; for in-class reading, bring a printout of the Hamid text of each ghazal
= Th. part 1 -- Read the introductory material and Chapters 1-2 in Russell
= Th. part 2 -- Sight reading from Hali; materials will be provided (also linked in {230,5})

WEEK THREE == Tu. Feb. 5, Th. Feb. 7
Ghazal {17} and Ghazal {35}
= Th. part 1 -- Russell Chapters 3-4; recitation practice
= Th. part 2 -- Sight reading of some material linked from {139,1}

WEEK FOUR == Tu. Feb. 12, Th. Feb. 14
Ghazal {4} and Ghazal {214}
= Th. part 1 -- Russell Chapters 5-6; sight reading of *Sherani page 7*
= Th. part 2 -- Grammar review: *a good overview*

WEEK FIVE == Tu. Feb. 19, Th. Feb. 21
Ghazal {49} and Ghazal {116}
= Th. part 1 -- Russell Chapters 7-8; recitation practice
= Th. part 2 -- Taimoor Shahid

WEEK SIX == Tu. Feb. 26, Th. Feb. 28
Ghazal {48} and Ghazal {233}
= Th. part 1 -- Russell Chapters 9-10; *the abjad system*; *shamsi and qamari letters*
= Th. part 2 -- Aman Kumar

WEEK SEVEN  == Tu. Mar. 5, Th. Mar. 7
Ghazal {10} and Ghazal {210}
= Th. part 1 -- Read Russell Chapters 11-12
= Th. part 2 -- A quick look at two very special ghazals, {66} and {139}

WEEK EIGHT == Tu. Mar. 12, Th. Mar. 14
Ghazal {21} and Ghazal {169}
= Th. part 1 -- Russell Chapters 13-14
= Th. part 2 -- Jordan Borgman and Celia Bell

WEEK NINE == Tu. Mar. 26, Th. Mar. 28
Ghazal {97} and Ghazal {98}
= Th. part 1 -- Read Russell Chapters 15-16
= Th. part 2 -- Justin Ben-Hain and Alejandro Coriat

WEEK TEN == Tu. Apr. 2, Th. Apr. 4
Ghazal {174} and Ghazal {162}
= Th. part 1 -- Read Russell Chapter 17
= Th. part 2 -- Prof. Aftab Ahmad

WEEK ELEVEN == Tu. Apr. 9, Th. Apr. 11
Ghazal {62} and Ghazal {111}
= Th. part 1 -- Read Azad (1880) on Ghalib: *pp 481-499*
= Th. part 2 -- Tanvi Bikhchandani and Sundas Amer

WEEK TWELVE == Tu. Apr. 16, Th. Apr. 18
Ghazal {191} and Ghazal {208}
= Th. part 1 -- Read Azad (1880) on Ghalib: *pp. 500-515*
= Th. part 2 -- Anshul Ailawadi

Saturday Apt. 20: our annual Workshop: *"From Amir Hamzah to Chandrakanta: How Long a Journey?"*

WEEK THIRTEEN == Tu. Apr. 23, Th. Apr. 25
Ghazal {219} and Ghazal {115}
= Th. part 1 -- Come prepared to discuss Azad's treatment of Ghalib
= Th. part 2 -- Sneha Desai

WEEK FOURTEEN == Tu. Apr. 30, Th. May 2
Review, overview, Russell, etc.; ghazal {234}

PARTY at Prof. Pritchett's apt. (details to be given in class)

EXAM: Tu. May 14th, 114 Knox, 7:10 (plus oral exams to be scheduled individually)