English
Characteristics of Literature
Chinese Literature
Types of Chinese Literature:
Shih (rigid type of Chinese poem)
Drama
Free Verse
Novel
Folklore
Chinese Folktales
Short and simple plots
Show Chinese values and morals
Triumph of justice over injustice
Emphasis on wisdom and not strength
Japanese Literature
Eras of Japanese Literature
Ancient Literature
Nara Period
Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) – oldest existing chronicle [myths about Japan’s origin]
Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) [Japanese history]
Beginning of Japanese poetry, known as waka
Chinese characters (man’yogana) were used to express the sounds of the Japanese
Tanka
-composed of 31 syllables in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern that talked about nature
Heian Period
·court ladies played a central role in literature
·Lady MurasakiShikibu
- “Tale of Genji” – a political novel
Medieval Literature
Kamakura-Muromachi Period
Noh Theater
-national theater of Japan
Tale of the Heike
-Japanese epic
Modern Literature
Edo Period
·Renga
-successive linked verses by several people forming a long poem
·Joruri (Puppet Play)
-done with beautifully made life-size puppets
·Kabuki Theater
-play with all male actors which focuses on the lives of the common people and is marked by sensitivity and melodrama
·Haiku
·Matsuo Basho
·greatest Japanese haiku poet
·elevated the haiku to a serious poetic form
·YosaBuson
·second greatest Japanese haiku poet
·represents a romantic view of the Japanese landscape
·Kobayashi Issa
·generally ranked with Basho and Buson
·lived in poverty and such background was reflected in his haikus
Meiji Period
·period of rapid industrialization
·free verse was brought into the poetic repertoire
Post-War Literature
influenced by Japan’s defeat in WWII
stories were mostly about loss of purpose, disaffection and coping with defeat
Contemporary Literature
era when Manga became highly popular
Banana Yoshimoto
·best-selling contemporary author
Haruki Murakami
·one of the most popular and controversial of today’s Japanese authors (international author)
Indian Literature
One of the world’s oldest and richest
Oral traditions – storytellers present traditional Indian text
Literature is influenced by:
- A religious doctrine karma – the chain of good and bad action and their inevitable consequences, which result to the repeated birth and death of the soul.
- Mythology of the dominant Hindu deities
Literature
Sanskrit literature has its origins in an oral tradition that produced the Vedic holy texts (Indian bible)
Main focus was on religion (piety)
Two great books of Hindu tradition, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana
Puranas and the Panchatantra
·Rabindranath Tagore
·Asia’s first Nobel Laureate for literature in 1913
·The God of Small Things - written by Arundhati Roy a literary figure in the late 1990s
·Train to Pakistan – Khushwant Singh
·Dalit (Opressed) Writing - a literary movement where men and women of marginalized and low-caste communities write poetry and fiction about their own lives and communities
African Literature
Africa’s literary contributions include oral traditions in prose and poetry in their native language and were later translated to English and French. It consists of:
Proverbs
Myths
Songs
Tales
animals play a dominant role in African myths and folk stories
There are 700 African languages but only 49 have been used for literary expression and from those 18 are South African
Three important areas in African literature:
[written] indigenous literature
African writings in English
The Nigerian novel
WWII saw the rise of African intellectuals who were educated in France, England the US who wrote in English or French
Types of African poetry:
narrative epic
occupational verse
ritual verse
praise poems (told by griotsor praise singers)
Songs: love songs, work songs, children’s songs, epigrams and riddles
Philippine Literature
Can generally be divided into three periods:
The Legendary and Epic age (pre-Spanish)
-Oral literature
-Magical incantations, myths, legends and folktales
-Worship of the sun and moon and nature
-Stories on the origin of the universe and the human race
-Examples:
Biagni Lam-ang
Hudhud and Alim
Bidasari
Indarapatra and Sulayman
Period of Spanish occupation
-Literature that was religious in nature
-The Pasyon
-Moro-moro(drama)
-Awitand Corido(poetry)
-Nationalistic poetry
-Propaganda literature
-Examples:
Florante at Laura
Noli Me Tangere
El Filibusterismo
Period of the American occupation
-Literature in English
-Short stories
-Writing as a form of artistic expression
Southeast Asian Literature: Indonesia
Early literature had religious functions
Songs and exorcisms (like psalms)
No strict formal pattern
Songs were improvised
National language: Bahasa Indonesia
Simple poems
Oral literature
Myths
Animal stories
“beast fables”
Fairytales
Legends
Puzzles and riddles
Anecdotes
Adventure stories
Examples:
The Ever Lighted Lamp (TakdirAlisjohbana)
Unruffled Sails
Malay Literature in Indonesia
Novels and poetry
Moral intents
Pantum(1st and 3rd lines rhyme and 2nd and 4th lines rhyme)
Thai Literature
Prominent literature is poetry
light, romantic and musical
klon’s pet ton – musical love songs (8 lines)
Ramakien–epic in lyrical verse (sung)
Writing
Mythical
Quasi-historical
Religious
Legal and religious literature
Ex. Inao(the Thai Ramayana)
Modern: the realistic novel
Short stories
Thai Classics (ex. PattmaSompothtyan)
Subject-Verb Agreement
Check your NAT reviewers
Connotation & Denotation
Denotation
The literal meaning of a word
The dictionary meaning of a word
The word is described in a neutral tone
Connotation
Emotional/cultural meaning or exposure attached to the word
Implies a particular point of view in a positive or negative tone
Value-laden (or lack of)
Local Color
Or regional literature focuses on the characters, dialect, customs, topography and other features particular to a specific region
The use of slang, colloquialism or foreign words
Title / Place of Origin / Local Color UsedDahong Palay / Philippines / Names:Sebio; Binay; pacio
Local terms: Tia; suman; pasmado; bibingka; nanay
The Gold Harvest / Thailand / Names: Nai Hah Tong; Nang Song Sal
Local terms: chai; mai pen rai; namprick; mai pen rat; maichai
Traditions: gods; dining practices; family ties
The Story of Ruth / Israel / Names: Naomi (pleasant); Mara (bitter); Boaz; Elimelech; Orpah
Traditions: widows marry the closest single male relative; giving of a dowry
The Wonder Tree / Saudi Arabia / Names: Zuleika; Ali Ben Ahmed; Ben Nedi
Local terms: sheik; salaam
Traditions: gift-giving; hospitality
Folk Tales
Title / Place of Origin / Important StuffGuno and Koyo / Indonesia / Characters: Guno (helpful); Koyo (rich)
What happened: they went to rob the house of an old hadji but ended up doing foolish things, causing them to get chased and jumping into a dry riverbed—making fools out of themselves
Don’t go swimming in a dry riverbed
The Four Puppets / Myanmar (Burma) / Characters: Aung; Mala; the four puppets (the King of the Gods [Thagyarmin]; the Ogre [Yaksha]; the Sorcerer [Zawgyi] and the Hermit)
King (wisdom)
Ogre (strength)
Sorcerer (knowledge)
Hermit (goodness)
Theme: Goodness
Strength and knowledge must always serve wisdom and goodness
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