Ancient Armenian poetry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alongside old Armenian historiography and translated literature, poetry constituted a significant part of Armenian literature from the 5th to the 18th centuries.[1][2] The rich tradition of oral literature preceded written poetry.[3]
The earliest examples of ancient Armenian poetry were religious;[4] the first collection of spiritual verses was compiled in the 7th century.[5] It was precisely then that secular poetry began.[6] The oldest surviving poem in the Armenian language dates back to the 7th century.[7]
Grigor Narekatsi and Nerses IV the Gracious are considered the most influential poets who created before the 17th century.[8] The literature of the 12th to 17th centuries represents the transition of Armenian civilization from the classical era to the contemporary.[9] From the 13th century, a period of flourishing love poetry begins,[10] and the theme of emigration is touched upon for the first time in verse.[11] Epic poems appeared in the 15th-16th centuries.[12] In the 17th and 18th centuries, the most popular was ashough poetry.[13]
The works of Armenian poets were first published in 1513 in Venice.[14][15] Old Armenian poetry was characterized by the use of accented rhyme.[16]