Angelina Agbeletey

Eng 231
6-22-15

RUMI READING JOURNAL

First Thoughts
The cover of rumi is beautifully done. From the cover, I can tell this
book is about love. It has two people a man and a woman. There are also
trees in the background. The pictures show two lovers or friends in the park
enjoying lunch and drinking wine. These two seems to be in love. The
pictures show that the book is about love, lust, friendship, peace and
harmony.
Notable Quotes
You are the sky my spirit circles in, the love inside love, the
resurrection place (rumi 9). This passage shows he was professing his love.
She is beautiful and, and is his world. Even if the frog learned to hiss, still
the snake would learn through the hiss the information he needed the frog
voice underneath (Rumi, 20). It seems to him that no one listens to him
when he speaks but their actions speak volume.
Questions and Attempted Answers
Who is Rumi?
Rumi was wealthy, nobleman, charming and a brilliant scholar. His life
story in full of drama who met a wandering and wild holy man would shams.
After meeting shams he went from a compassionate person to an
impassioned seeker of love and truth. Why is Rumi talking about the Bible
and Quran together? Rumi was the first in the world to know that Christians
and Muslims have so much in common, but Jesus Christ is a holy figure Islam,
unlike how the world has portrayed the Muslims as extremists.
Vocabulary
Dervish: a member of a Muslim group that is known for its customs including
fast spinning dance that is done as a part of worship.

My friend was dervishing when her mom bought her a new car
Leonine: resembling a lion or lions
Melvin is a tall man with a leonine physique
Thwarting: prevent someone from accomplishing something. Marys husband
thwarted her from completing college.
Metaphor/Allegory: in one of the pages, Rumi said, And my heart, Id say it
was more like a donkey sunk in a mud hole, struggling and miring deeper
(Rumi 8). A donkey is a domesticated hoofed mammal of the horse family
with long ear and a braying call used as a beast of burden (oxford
dictionary). The donkey is the metaphor of Rumi himself telling shams that
life is not easy.
Themes of Criticism
I feel that Rumi struggles to understand dignity and friendship is
dependent on sacrifice. Rumi sacrificed his life for their friendship and when
Shams were nowhere to be found, Rumi journeyed to Damascus to look for
Rumi. Faith grew from their friendship. Rumi was certain Shams would come
back.
Insights:
Rumis poems were about morality, love and friendship. In search of
love he found Shams, became very close friends but it did not last. Shams
the kindred spirit he found vanished. So he channeled his loneliness into
preaching. He preached the Quran and the bible. Rumi preached about
ecstatic love.

Cited:
www.bookrags.com
The essential Rumi: New Expanded Edition, Translated by Coleman Barks