• FrontMatter,
• Contents,
• Illustrations,
• Preface,
• I. Poet and Court in Persia,
• II. The Poetry of Praise: The Qasidah and Its Uses,
• III. Romance: The Language of Experience,
• IV. Romance: Character as Moral Emblem,
• V. Romance as Mirror: Allegories of Kingship and Justice,
• VI. Ghazal: The Ideals of Love,
• VII. Conclusion: The Art of the Court Poet,
• Bibliography,
• Index,

Dr. Meisami discloses previously neglected stylistic qualities and ethical purposes in medieval Persian court poetry, and shows that court poets were also moral instructors who examined and celebrated the values they shared with their audiences. The book also takes into account the close relationship between Persian and Arabic court poetry.
Originally published in 1987.
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