TAMIL - Graduate Seminar in Tamil Literature

This course will introduce students to the history of poetic figuration (aṇi, alaṅkāram) in Tamil, both in its long and diverse theoretical tradition and in literary practice. Students will become familiar with key concepts in Tamil alaṅkāra theory and the relationship between these concepts and their Sanskrit counterparts. Class time will be divided between close reading of Tamil materials and discussion of these materials along with English-language secondary sources; students with limited Tamil reading knowledge who are interested in gaining a comparative perspective on Indian aesthetics are welcome to participate in the class with instructor approval.