“Unmarked Boxes” & “Anecdotes”

1. “Unmarked Boxes” & “Anecdotes” Unit 7

2. Journal • One of the poems we will read today begins with the statement of a comforting belief: “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round / in another form.” In other words, the things we think we lose—the carefree pleasures of early childhood, for example—are replaced by other pleasures, such as the privilege of getting a driver’s license at age sixteen. What do you think of Rumi’s idea? What things have you lost and gained throughout life?

3. “Unmarked Boxes” • A. The poet Rumi belonged to the branch of Islamic mysticism known as Sufism. • 1. Like many mystics of other faiths, Sufis believe that knowledge and understanding of God come through personal experience of God, not through the senses or through study.

4. 2. The Sufis believe in the doctrine of Vahdat-ol-Vojood, or “the unity of all things.” • a. To Sufis, this means that all things profane (that is, impure or not holy) are, in fact, holy. • b. Although this may sound contradictory, it is simply a way of saying that God is present in everything. For example, a rose, a profane object, may embody God’s perfect beauty and therefore be sacred for what it represents. • c. The doctrine also implies that God is at once present and absent—present because God resides in all beings, but absent because we do not directly perceive God through our five senses.

5. 3. The Sufi of today still call Rumi “Our Master.” • a. His Masnavi, from which “Unmarked Boxes” is taken, has been a powerful influence both on Sufi through and on Persian literature for over seven centuries.

6. Anaology • 1. Analogy—comparison that explains something unfamiliar by describing it in terms of something familiar. • a. For example, someone might draw an analogy between riding in a helicopter and an exciting fairground ride, such as a roller coaster. You might then understand that a helicopter lurches and dips, and you would know the feeling in your stomach that accompanies such a ride. Analogies can help to explain ideas and objects as well as experiences.

7. “Unmarked Boxes” • 1. The first two sentences in the poem function as a direct statement of the theme, with most of the rest of the work providing support or examples. What is Rumi’s theme based on the opening sentences? • 2. Lines 19-23—How is a town “looking at” stars like the narrator talking about the fold of ripe wheat, a color that returns in baked bread? • 3. What speaks to you more powerfully in the poem—its imagery or its intellectual message?

8. “Anecdotes” • A. Saadi • 1. Saadi, which means “fortunate” in Persian, spent much of his life as a wandering dervish, or holy man, moving from place to place, studying and practicing Sufi doctrine.

9. 2. He had neither a home nor personal belongings, yet he somehow produced two of the great classics of Persian literature. • a. A devout Sufi, he chose poverty and rootlessness as a way of life, wandering great distances. His books mention journeys to Central Asia and India, and it is believed he made several religious pilgrimages to Mecca. • b. Saadi’s work is greatly beloved by the Iranian people, and his place in Persian literature is firmly established. • c. His stories and sayings seem simple and use plain language, but they express Sufi wisdom in a way that has won admiration from scholars and general readers alike. • d. Because his work had such wide appeal, Saadi ensured the continuation of Sufi beliefs.

10. Literary Terms • 1. Anecdote—a brief story that illustrates a point, for example, about human behavior. • 2. Aphorism—a concise, sometimes witty, saying that expresses a principle or truth, or observation about life. • 3. Saadi uses anecdotes and aphorisms to express abstract ideas in concrete, comprehensible, and sometimes humorous ways.

11. 1. Summarize the story told in “The Pearl” How does the anecdote illustrate the value of humility? • 2. What concrete nouns appear in “Learning”? What visual image does the aphorism create? To what abstract idea might this concrete image refer?   • 3. Which ideas in “Relative” are similar to those in “The Pearl”? • 4. What are the character traits of the king in “The Dervish Under a Vow of Solitude”? Of the dervish? How do their personalities illustrate the point of the anecdote? • 5. “if you Cannot Stand a Sting” is from a tale entitled “On the Manners of Kings.” A friend in need of money disregards Saadi’s advice and enters the service of a king. The friend prospers until the king turns against him, and then he end up poorer than ever. Saadi then quotes the aphorism. Given this background, what do you conclude is Saadi’s view of kings?