Omar Khayyam The Enigma :: essays research papers fc

PROLOGUEOmar Kahyyam was primarily a mathematician and an astronomer. He was an extremely agile individual who wrote many theories in physics and metaphysics. He is also attributed with the reclamation of the Persian calender with seven other great intellects to create a calender more accurate than the Gregorian calender. Ironically he is know to the humanity to daylight for his translated collection of lyrical quatrains called the Rubaiyat. His life and works argon somewhat of a mystery because he was or else unpopular until afterward his death. Yet the work he is just about known and beloved for is considered to make water been a gross mistranslation of both character and content.This paper will be divided into six sections. The first is the prologue. The prologue was used to introduce Omar to the reader. Next in that location will be a brief biography of his life and major influences of his work. Following this will be a section on his magnum theme and only work, The Ruba iyat. This will include literary criticism of his famous work. after(prenominal) this there will be a brief conclusion to shopping center up the overall paper followed by an epilogue with my judicial decision on Khayyam. Finally in my bibliography the reader will see my sources for research and my sagacity on those books. I. OMAR KHAYYAM, THE ENIGMAIn the history of military personnel literature Omar Khayyam is an enigma. No poet of any time period has received greater recognition and fame finished such a enormous misreading of his work. Known today world wide, Khayyams works would undoubtable be unheard of in modern day literature in they were not translated by English writer Edward FitzGerald. The conundrum is that FitzGerald misinterpreted both Khayyam and his works in his translation to start an unending conflict1. FitzGerald added to his editions of the Rubaiyat a biographical sketch entitled Omar Khayyam The Astronomer Poet of Persia. In this he wrote his opinion that Khayyam was an anti-religious materialist who believed lifes only meaning was to be found in wine, song, and worldly pleasures Having failed (however mis takenly) of finding any Providence but Destiny, and any world but this, he set about making the most of it preferring rather to soothe the soul through the senses into acquiescence with things as he truism them, than to perplex it with vain disquietude after what they might be.... He takes a humorous or perverse pleasure in exalting the joy of sense above that of intellect, in which he must have taken great delight, although it failed to answer the questions in which he, in common with all men, was most vitally interested2.