Sa‘di & the Aesthetics of Persian Poetry

Service Description

Sa‘di and the Aesthetics of Desire in Medieval Persian Poetry Dates: October 12 – December 14, 2026 (online course) Time: Mondays, 9 – 10 am Pacific Standard Time (Los Angeles) Persian language skills: basic, intermediate, advanced This course offers an in-depth study of the major literary works of Sa‘di Shirazi (13th century CE), long celebrated for the “inimitable smoothness” of his style and for the ethical and aesthetic ideals that shaped his career as a court poet and Sufi thinker. Drawing on Ingenito’s monograph, Beholding Beauty: Saʿdi of Shiraz and the Aesthetics of Desire in Medieval Persian Poetry, the course explores the intersections of sexuality, politics, and spirituality across Sa‘di’s poetry and prose. Relying on a wide range of sources, including understudied manuscripts, the sessions will focus on Sa‘di’s lyric meditations on beauty within the broader artistic, scientific, and intellectual currents of his time. By tracing connections between Islamic philosophy and mysticism, obscene and satirical verse, and courtly ideals of love, students will approach Sa‘di’s literary imagination through the lenses of sacred eroticism, desire, and performative lyricism in their historical contexts. A portion of the course will be devoted to Persian prosody and figures of speech, as well as to the close study of important manuscripts copied between the 13th and 17th centuries. Classes will be conducted in English and Persian. Students at all levels of Persian are welcome to enroll. * Once learners enroll, Silk Road Academy will coordinate the class schedule, process payments, and manage administrative details. * Silk Road Academy can issue invoices so learners can request reimbursement from their affiliated universities or institutions. * Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees. * Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials. Dr. Domenico Ingenito is Associate Professor of Iranian Studies and premodern Persian Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.