LOTB Teacher’s Guide

Want to teach some Sufi poetry but don’t know where to start? Try this teacher’s guide. Based on our research and materials compiled from experts in the field, this teacher’s guide serves as a concise and accessible summary and companion to our podcast series, “The Logic of the Birds.” Designed specifically for educators, this teacher’s guide contains suggested classroom activities and assignments, English translations of poems, Youtube links to performances of poems, and more. We hope that this guide will be a valuable resource for teachers in secondary and undergraduate-level courses about Islam, Religion, Literature, Poetry, and History.

Instead of separating  the literary and theological dimensions of Sufi poetry, our guide encourages tudetns and educators to explore how these dimensions interact. We envision educators using it to encourage students to not only engage with Sufi poetry through memorization, recitation, and composition but also to infuse more “poetic” strategies into their teaching methods. 

Anticipating its integration into syllabi and classroom activities, our podcast series and teaching guide seek to transform the typical perception of Sufi poetry – often regarded as beautiful but irrational and ecstatic expressions—in order to appreciate the craft and intellectual depth of this important and influential literary tradition.

We hope that you will find this guide helpful in teaching, studying, or exploring Sufi poetry in your classes, reading groups, or even on your own:

LOTB Teacher’s Guide