In the Kite Runner, Amir loves books. In some ways The Kite Runner is a celebration of classical arab and persian poets. This PowerPoint explores four of the poets.

1. Rumi
Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, also known as
Rūmī, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist,
theologian, and Sufi mystic.
Born: September 30, 1207, Vakhsh, Tajikistan
Died: December 17, 1273, Konya, Turkey
Full name: Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī
Spouse: Gowhar Khatun (m. 1225)
Parents: Mu'mina Khātūn, Bahā ud-Dīn Walad

2. Have the aspiration of a falcon
and the pride of a leopard.
At the time of the hunt be graceful,
and be victorious at times of war.
Don't get too involved
with the nightingale and the peacock.
One is all words and the other all
colours.

3. Khayyam
Famous As: Poet
Nationality: Iranian,Persian
Born On: 18 May 1048
Famous 18th May Birthdays
Born In: Nishapur
Died On: 04 December 1131
Place Of Death: Nishapur
Education: Persian
mathematics, Persian poetry,
Persian philosophy
Works & Achievements: The
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

4. Strange, is it not? that of the myriads who
Before us pass'd the door of Darkness
through
Not one returns to tell us of the Road,
Which to discover we must travel too.

5. Hafez
Persian lyric poet Hafiz (born
Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad
Hāfez-e Šīrāzī) grew up in Shiraz.
When his father died, he left school
to work at a bakery and as a
copyist. Hafiz became a poet at the
court of Abu Ishak and also taught
at a religious college. As the author
of numerous ghazals expressing
love, spirituality, and protest, he and
his work continue to be important to
Iranians, and many of his poems
are used as proverbs or sayings.

6. The sky
Is a suspended blue ocean.
The stars are the fish
That swim.
The planets are the white whales
I sometimes hitch a ride on,
And the sun and all light
Have forever fused themselves
Into my heart and upon
My skin.

7. Ferdowsi
According to Nezami, Ferdowsi was a
dehqan ("landowner"), deriving a
comfortable income from his estates. The
Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, a poem of nearly
60,000 couplets, is based mainly on a prose
work of the same name compiled in the
poet's early manhood in his native Toos.
This prose Shahnameh was in turn and for
the most part the translation of a Pahlavi
(Middle Persian) work, the Khvatay-namak,
a history of the kings of Persia from
mythical times down to the reign of Khosro
II (590-628), but it also contained additional
material continuing the story to the
overthrow of the Sasanians by the Arabs in
the middle of the 7th century.

8. Much have I labored, much read o'er
Of Arabic and Persian lore,
Collecting tales unknown and known;
Now two and sixty years are flown.
Regret, and deeper woe of sin,
'Tis all that youth has ended in,
And I with mournful thoughts rehearse
Bu Táhir Khusrawáni's verse:
'I mind me of my youth and sigh,
Alas for youth, for youth gone by!'

9. The story of Rostam and Sohrab
Rostam was a famous warrior and hero in Persia. His
horse was stolen. He managed to track the horse to
another city where a King ruled. He fell in love with the
King’s daughter Tahmineh and they married. But he had
to leave and go on a journey. As a gift for his unborn son,
he gave an Onyx jewel to Tahmineh to pass to his son.
Nine months later Tahmineh gave birth to a son Sohrab.
As he got older, he became curious about his father.
Tahmineh told him his father was the hero Rostam and
gave him his Onyx jewel. Sohrab wanted to leave to fight
an evil King.

10. The Story of Rostam and Sohrab
He also wanted to find his father so they
could overthrow the evil king and rule
together. The evil king heard of Sohrab’s
plans and sent two spies to join his army.
He didn’t like Rostam and hoped to bring
destruction between father and son. Rostam
heard about the war and went to fight
Sohrab as Sohrab was too strong for
everyone. Rostam though Sohrab was
causing chaos not realising that the King
was evil. The spies didn’t tell Sohrab his
opponent in single combat was Rostam.

11. The Story of Rostam and Sohrab
However, by the description of his mother,
Sohrab guessed his opponent was Rostam.
Rostam denied who he was not realising
Sohrab was his son even though Sohrab was
noble and worthy. Rostam and Sohrab
continued fighting until Rostam harmed Sohrab
fatally. While Sohrab was dying, Sohrab told his
father who he was and Rostam was distraught.
Rostam realised he had killed his own son.
Rostam found the Onyx jewel underneath the
armour. While Sohrab was dying he forgave his
father and gave back the jewel. Rostam
promised to fulfil Sohrab’s final wishes.