Week 1 - Introduction

World Literature Introduction

First watch this video… pay attention to the two questions which follow as you watch.

Video 1: Introduction to World Literature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPKiza1HaI

(You can stop watching when they start talking about their own syllabus, around 10: 40)

Questions on Video 1: Introduction to World Literature

How does Chesterton suggest we should look at nature?

The best way to examine the world of nature is to look into its face, the face of
nature – the humankind.

According to Santayana, what happens to people who forget the past?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Now go to this slide show and answer the questions which follow. Note, the answers to these and
other questions from readings will form the basis of quizzes and exams in this subject.

Slide Show 1: World Literature: A Brief Introduction

https://www.slideshare.net/PranavkumarJaiswal/world-literature-45388129

Questions on Slideshow 1:

Give dates for these periods of Literature:

Old English Literature (450-1150)

Middle English Literature (1150-1500) tale of heroes – story of gilgamesh, bearwolf,

Canterbury tales (center of catholic church, place of pilgrimage)

The Renaissance (1500-1600) time of Shakespeare

The Restoration and 18c (1650-1789) british title restoration of king and monary form of
government – gave riseto a lot of satires, golever’s travel – liliputin’s
The Romantic Period (1789-1837) shelly and Byron, Frankenstein – written in plain
langauge

The Victorian Era (1837-1901) queen victoria time of reflection,

The Modern Age (1901-Present) when Victoria died, characterized by improvisation,

science fiction, can write about anything, open improvization

Last reading today: again take notes sufficient to answer the questions which follow:

Reading 1: Ancient World Literature

http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/literature/ancient/#introduction

(This is a very long article: you can read it all for your interest, but we will stop at the section on The
Bible)

Questions on Reading 1: Ancient World Literature

What are the three ages of the West?

Ancient, Medieval, and Modern

How would you characterise these three periods?

Ancient Culture – featured Greco-Roman culture which became the foundation

of Western Culture

Medieval Culture – broadly described as Greco-Roman culture with the addition

of Christianity and the removal of humanism

Modern Culture – emerged when humanism was restored

What does the word literature specifically include?

Prose – denotes literature that features “ordinary language”

Poetry – features language that has been carefully structured for aesthetic
effect

Drama – define as “literature intended for performance”; may be composed of

poetry and/or prose

What are two type of poetry?

Narrative Poetry – tells a story, and tends to be relatively long; often called
“epic poetry” epic of Gilgamesh- typical epic poem

Lyric poetry – communicates feelings or ideas, and tends to be relatively short

What are two types of Drama?

Shakespeare – comedy, tragedy, history, fantasy

Serious Drama (tragedy)

Comic Drama (comedy)

What is the subject of the two works by Homer: The Iliad and The Odysseus?

Homer – credited with writing down long epic poem that has been existed for
hundred of years

Iliad – battle of troy,

The Iliad recounts the decade-long siege of Troy, while the Odyssey follows the
decade-long homeward journey of Odysseus, a Greek king, at wars’ end.

Names three Ancient Greet dramatists.

Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides

What is the subject of the Aeneid?

The epic poem Aeneid, recounts the adventures of Aeneas, a Trojan prince who,
following the destruction of Troy, journeys to Italy and founds Rome.

Foundation myth – story Rome people want to believe