This paper introduces students to a rich and diverse literature from two classical
languages of India, Sanskrit and Tamil. A key feature is the study of the poetics in the
epics of both languages, including their literary traditions and their representations of a
pluralist society in terms of linguistic, religious, and generic diversity. The paper lays
a foundation in Indian poetics, theories of representation, aesthetics, aspects of Indian
theatre, and traditions of story-telling and narrative structures.
- Teacher: Gitanjali Chawla