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4. Brahmanas- commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and
Refers to the study of literature of the people of:
• India
• China
• Japan
What is Indian Literature?
• India is the vast land in Southern Asia, extending
from the Himalayan Mountains south to the tip of
a great peninsula that reaches from out into the
Indian Ocean.
• It is Known as “ Land of Prayer”
Dravidians- earliest people in India dating back to 3000 –
2500 B.C. towards 2000B.C.
Sanskrit- is the primary sacred language of Hinduism,
and a literary language that was in use as a lingua franca in
Greater India
-literature of India
-The word “Sanskrit” means cultivated or perfected
Vedas- the bible of Indians
-means “knowledge”
-are a large body of texts originating in the ancient Indian
subcontinent
Four Vedas
Rigveda- ancient Indian collection of vedic Sanskrit
hymns recited during hindu rites of passage celebrations
such as wedding and religious prayers
Yajurveda- religious, reverence, veneration, worship,
sacrifice, a sacrificial prayer, formula particularly mantras
muttered in a peculiar manner at a sacrifice
Samaveda- veda of melodies and chants. It is the
Rigveda set into music
Artharveda- formulas and spells intended to counter act
diseases and calamities
Roots of Indian Literature
1. Rig-veda- made up of hymns in ppraise of the gods.
The hymns are strong, energetic religious expressions
comparable to the Old Testament Psalms
2. Samhitas- text containing mantras and benediction
3. Aranyakas- text or rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices andand dramatist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize
symbolic-sacrifices
sacrifices
5. Upanishads- text discussing meditation, philosophy
and spiritual knowledge
Most Important Epics of India
Ramayana- is about the reincaranation of the creator god
Vishnu in the person
Mahabharata- deals with the other reincarnation of
Vishnu in the person of Krishna. It is considered as the
greatest epic of India
Reincarnation- The Indians believe in reincarnation.
-The reincarnation of Vishnua are called Avatars,
descending from the god.
Indian Drama
Bhasa- The first great name in Indian drama. (13 plays are
attributed to him)
Kalidasa- the greatest writer of plays. He is the author of
Shakuntaala. He is called the brightest of the “ nine
gems of genius”
Shakuntala- it is a story of a king who goes hunting in the
woods and meets a beautiful maiden named Shakuntala
with whom he falls in love.
Panchatantra
• (Five Headings)- a book that said to contain the
first fables ever written. Fables are stories of
animals who behave like human beings.
FIVE BOOKS OF PACHATANTRA
1. Mitra-bheda: The separation of Friends
2. Mitra-labha: The Gaining of Friends ( The Dove,
Crow, Mouse, Tortoise and Deer)
3. Kakolukiyam- War and Peace
4. Labdhapranasam- Loss of Gains
5. Apariksitakarakam- III- Considered Actions
Rabindranath Tagore- was great Indian poet
for literature in 1913 and was knighted by the
british government in 1915.
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Song Dynasty (960-1279BCE)- Early woodblock
printing, travel literature, poetry, scientific text and Neu
The Chinese Literature
Confucian classics)
- one of the major literary heriatges of the world. It -poetry evolved into a genre called ‘Ci’
profoundly influenced the literary traditions of other Asian -which was essentially song poems composed for Banquet
countries, particularly Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. and such events

- The body of works was written in Chinese, including Strict rules

lyric poetry, historical and didactic writing, drama, and
• Number of sentences
various forms of fiction.
• Number of words
- Chinese classical literature has many of expression • Intonations of each word

History of Chinese Literature “Song Ci is considered as a kind of music literature whose

musicality is of high aesthetic value”
-has a rich history which stretches back thousands of years
where they all started on different Dynasties
Yuan Dynasty (1278-1368BCE)- Drama and great
fictional novels
Dynasties of China
Known for:
1. Xia Dynasty ( 2070-1600BC)
2. Shang Dynasty (1600-1050BC) Development of • Drama Literature
Chinese Writing • Yuan Qu
3. Zhou Dynasty (1046-256BCE) Basic Philosophical • Literary Song
and Religious literature • Poetic drama
4. Qin Dynasty (221-206BC)- Literary disaster and • Various songs
legalism
Dramas and Plays are:
Pre-Qin Period
• Rich in subjects and characters
- True Feelings & Formats and Pattern
• Flexible and diverse in creation
-Prose was prevailing
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Han Dynasty (206-220AD)- Scientific and Historical
Qing Dynasty (19th Century)
Text
- with the development of the economy, there were
- Combining Essays and Prose Writings and Rhymes
increasing cultural needs and demand. Hence, novel as a
-New Format ‘Fu’ as the mainstream format of literature
literary genre prevailed.
-Prose was further developed
Four Great Classical Novels of the Ancient China
Tang Dynasty ( 618-907CE)- early woodblock printing
1. Romance of the three Kingdorm
and poetry
2. Journey to the West
- One of the most prosperous Chinese dynasties
3. The water Margin
Poetry:
4. Dream of the red chamber
• Became popular
• Concise
• Consist magnificent words Poems from China
• Has phrasing
• Has certain rhythms and rhymes
Books of Odes- believed to be compiled by
Confucius, Shih Ching or “ Book of Odes” is a
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collection of 305 poems, dating from 1000 to
600BC.
-believed to be the oldest existing examples of Chinese
poetry
Min nong- another one of the most famous and meaningful
poems in Chinese
China-chinese civilization is the oldest civilaztions in the
world that dates back to do the Shang Dynasty in 1756 B.C.
-It is also known as “ The Red Dragon”
Five Classics of Book
1. The Book of Changes
2. The Book of History
3. The Book of Rites
4. The Book of Odes
5. The Spring and autumn annals
China- one of the world’s cradles of civilization
Du Fu- also known as Tu Fu
- Greatest Chinese poet of all time
-wrote the poem “The Ballad of the Army Cats”
Li Po- also known as Li Bai
- Chinese Poet
- was romantic in his personal life and his poetry
-He wrote the poem “Alone and Drinking under the
Moon” that deals with the ancient social custom of drinking.
Wang Wei- poet, painter, musician, and statesman during
the Tang dynasty( the golden ages of the Chinese cultural
history.
- founder of the respected southern school of painter-poets,
Many of his best were inspired by the local landscape.
Mo Yan-He was a fictionist who won the 2012 Nobel
Prize for Literature
-His first novel was “Red Sorghum”, and still
his best-known work. It tells the story of the Chinese
battling Japanese intruders as well as each other during the
1930s.
-It relates the story of a family in a rural area in
Shandong Province during this turbulent time.
CONFUCIUS
- perhaps the greatest philosopher of the world
has known.
- one of the truly great men that china has
produced.
-the word CONFUCIUS is the westernized form
of his name, which is “ KUNG FU-TZE”, Kung
being his proper name, Fu signifying revered,
and “tze” signifying teacher.
PO-CHU-I
-was a well-known Chinese poet who
represented the classical tradition in Chinese
literature, politics and morality.
JAPAN- “The Land of the Rising Sun”
The earliest writings from ancient Japan are:
1. The records of the ancient matters in
Kojiki.
2. The chronicles of Japan or Nihongi.
-Japanese literature has been influenced heavily
by the Chinese literature from the ancient period
all the way to the Edo Period (1603-1868).
-Japanese literary works also reveal elements of
Indian and later of Western elements but above
all, they reveal a distinct style which has also
greatly influenced both Eastern and Western
literatures.
• Japanese literature can be divided into
four periods: the ancient, classical,
medieval, and modern.
Ancient-
- deals primarily with myths and legends
- tales like the creation of Japan, where in the
islands came from the gemstones imbued in the
swords of gods are very prominent during this
period.
- writers during the period are:
• Ono Yamumaro
• Nihon Shoki
• Man Yoshu
Classical-
- occurred during the “golden age”, the “Heian
Period”.
-“Murasaki Shikibu” one of the greatest writers,
wrote the seminal text, “Tale of Genji”
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- “The Tale of Genji”, considered the world’s first Manyo Shu (collection of myriad leaves)-
novel, is a very charming and accurate depiction
-oldest collection of poetry
of the Japanese court during the Heian period
under the reign of empress akiko. -collection titled “One hundred Persons” was
compiled much later.
Medieval-
Haiku-
-history and literature were interviewed due to the
influence of the civil wars and the emergence of -Shortest form of Japanese poetry but most
the warrior class. popular.
-war tales are very prominent during this period. -it has seventeen- syllable poem inn three lines of
5-7-5 syllables.
-besides war stories and tales, the popular form of
Japanese poetry, the renga, saw it’s rise. Tanka-
Modern- - a five line poem. The first and third lines have
five syllables each and the other seven, making a
-Modern literature can be further divided into
total of 31 syllables per poem.
early modern, which happened during the Edo
period, and modern, which started during the
Meiji period, when Japan opened its doors to the
West.
-The early modern gave way to the rise of new - Greece and Rome are considered the birthplace
genres like the Japanese drama, kabuki, the of Europian literature.
poetry form known for its simplicity and subtlety,
haiku, and the yomihon, a type of Japanese book
which put little emphasis on illustration.
Japanese Literature- It is one of the major
Oriental Literatures.
Katakana- basic alphabet inn Japan which
consists 46 characters.
EARLIEST JAPANESE LITERARY
WORKS:
1. Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters)
2. Nihongi (Choronicles of Japan)
JAPANESE DRAMA
Drama- favorite form of amusement
THREE TYPES OF JAPANESE DRAMA:
1. Noh play- national theater of Japan
2. Joruri or puppet play- the puppets are
beautifully made and lifelike in size.
3. Kabuki play- the play of masses. It is less
intellectual, more realistic, even
sensational.
JAPANESE POETRY
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engaged with themes of anti-colonial
resistance, national identity, and the struggles
-Africa, the “Cradle of the humankind”
for independence. Chinua Achebe's "Things
according to scientists, has a literature that is
Fall Apart" (1958) and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's
filled with the human spirit, desiring for
early works are emblematic of this period.
freedom and contentment.
-Diasporic Literature: This category
-African literature consists of oral tradition
includes works by African writers who live
and written literature ranging from local
outside the continent. Writers of the African
languages brought by the colonizers
diaspora, such as Chimamanda Ngozi
(English, Portuguese, and French). The
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and
experiences of the colonization and post-
Ta-Nehisi Coates, contribute to the global
colonization shape the African literature.
dialogue on African identity and experiences
-The oral literature of Africa such as myths,
Chinua Achebe
stories, riddles, proverbs, and dramas
document the exploits of the heroes of the -He was a Nigerian novelist, poet, critic, and
communities, remind the people about their professor and was honored as Grand Prix de
culture and traditions, entertain and educate la Memoir of the 2019 edition of the Grand
the youth. Prix of Literary Associations.
Oral Tradition (Pre-colonial era): -His first novel and masterpiece, “Things
Fall Apart”, is the most widely read book in
-Much of Africa's early literary heritage is
modern African literature.
rooted in oral traditions. Griots, storytellers,
and bards passed down myths, legends, and Wole Soyinka
histories through spoken word, preserving
-He was the first black African to be awarded
cultural values and communal identities.
the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature.
-Colonial Period (Late 19th to mid-20th
- One of his famous works is his first
century): The colonial era had a profound
important play “A Dance of the Forests”
impact on African literature. Some authors of
which was written for the Nigerian
note during this time include Nigerian writer
independence celebrations.
Amos Tutuola and his novel "The Palm-Wine
Drinkard." Kofi Awoonor
-Post-Colonial Period (1960s onwards): -He was a Ghanian novelist and poet who
With the gaining of independence by many wrote “This Earth, My Brother”, across
African nations, literature became a powerful between a novel and a poem. It was told on
tool for grappling with the challenges and two levels each representing a distinct reality.
opportunities of the post-colonial era.
Authors like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, -The first level is a standard narrative which
and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o continued to play details a day in the life of an attorney named
influential roles in shaping post-colonial Amamu. The second level is a symbol-laden
narratives. mystical journey filled with biblical and
literary allusions.
-Nationalist and Independence
Movements (Mid-20th century): This
period saw the emergence of literature that
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Ngungi wa Thiong’o
-East Africa’s leading novelist, a Kenyan
writer who wrote the famous novel “Weep
Not, Child”. It was the first major novel in
English by an East African. It deals with the
Mau-Mau Uprising, a war in the British
Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the
Kenya Land and Freedom Army.
Nadine Gordimer
-A South African writer and the recipient of
the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature.
-She wrote the joint winner of the Booker -
McConnell Prize novel “The
Conservationist”.
Jacques Rabemananjara
-He was a Malagasy playwright and poet and
one of Madagascar’s most prominent writers.
-He wrote and published his play “Les dieux
malgaches”, the first modern Malagasy play
in French.
-This play dealt with the pre-colonial past and
with the coup that unseated King Radama II
in 1863
Es’kia Mphahlele
-He wrote the South African classic
autobiography “Down Second Avenue”
about the story of a young man’s growth into
adulthood with penetrating social criticism of
the conditions forced upon black South
Africans by a system of institutionalized
racial segregation.
Thomas Mofolo
-He was the greatest writer from the Sotho
people in Africa. He created the first
Western-style novels in the Basotho
language.
-His novel “Chaka” became a classic.
- It was a historical novel about the story of
the rise and fall of the Zulu king Shaka.
Dennis P. Kunene translated the novel from
Sotho to English
Literary Forms
-Orature or Oral Literature- This includes
praise, poems, love, poems, tales, rituals and
moral instructions in the form of proverbs
and fables. Mostly performed by griots or the
African story teller
Lyric Poem
-Do not tell a story but instead, like songs create
a vivid, expressive testaments testament to a
speaker’s thoughtsor emotional state.
Example: The Great Hymn to Aten
African Proverbs
-Much more than quaint old sayings. It uses few
words but achieves great depth of meaning and
they function as the essence of people’s values
and knowledge.
Example: Dogs do not prefer bones to meat; it is
just no one gives them
Dilemma or Enigma tale
. A kind of African moral tale that is intended for
listeners to discuss and debate.
Example:
A man died while hunting an ox to feed his three
wives. The first wife learns through a dream what
has happened to him, the second leads her fellow
wives to the place where he died and the third
restores him to life. Which of the three most
deserves his praise?
Ashanti Tales
Comes from Ashanti whose traditional homeland
is the dense and hilly forest beyond the city of
kumansi in Ghana which was colonized by
British. The tale exemplifies common
occupations of the Ashanti
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Trickster Tale
-An enormously popular type. The best known
African Trickster Figure is Anansi the spider
from the West African origin
Origin Stories
-Includes creation stories and stories explaining
the origin of death
Epics of the Vanished Heroes
-Partly human, partly superhuman who embody
the highest values- carry with them a culture’s
history, values and traditions
WHAT IS EDITORIAL CARTOONING?
Editorial Cartooning is the process of drawing or
sketching pictorial caricatures of a person or object in
order to inform, influence, argue, criticize, praise and
interpret a certain event or to entertain.
Cartoon is derived from two words:
-Caricature and Lampoon.
- Caricature is an exaggerated description, generally, by
sketching. It is done in super-likeness manner using scale
and distortion to suggest the artist's feeling toward the
subject. It is a pictorial representation of a person or an
object in which the defects or peculiarities are exaggerated
so as to produce an amusing effect.
-Lampoon is a piece a harsh satire usually directed against
an individual.
-Cartoon differs from original picture that tells
something funny or hilarious.
-Cartoon is different from poster and painting.
-Cartoon is usually used in comics
-Cartoon drawing is used for trivia
Editorial cartoons throughout history have made
use of similar techniques to get their points
across. Among them are:
Symbolism: use of an object to stand for an idea
Caricature: exaggeration of a physical feature
Captioning and labels: for clarity and emphasis
• Analogy: comparison of two unlike things that
share some characteristics Irony: the difference
between the way things are and the way things
should be, or the way things are expected to be
Juxtaposition: positioning people or objects
near each other for effect
• Exaggeration: overstating or magnifying a
problem.
Elements of Cartooning
1. Composition - it is the arrangement of
all the elements of a good drawing to
produce the desired form and
specifications. (i.e., lines, shades,
exaggerations, etc.)
2. Balance - it is the stability produce by
even distribution of those elements with
respect to the whole. This is done
through contrasting, opposing, and
interacting elements.
3. Unity - it is a condition of harmony. It is
also the resulting singleness of effect or
symmetry and consistency of style and
character.
Elements of a Good Editorial Cartoon
-Offer insight, influence and change beliefs.
-Spark discussion, give life to ideas and provoke
thought.
-Express the artist's ideas and thoughts without
requiring a lot of explanations.
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-Be able to stand on its own and be more than a
mere graphic depiction of the editorials it shares
the page with.
-Dwell on subject matters which are current and
very relevant to the readers and what they are
thinking
Tips for Editorial Cartooning
1. Be most concerned with the originality and
clarity of your cartoon's ideas.
2. Select news stories of major continuing
interest. The idea must be done in good taste and
should 'say' something.
3. Study some professionally drawn editorial
cartoons closely before trying to create one of
your own. Remember, study them, but don't
copy them.
4. Don't elutter your cartoon with too many
different ideas. Decide on single point you want
to make.
5. Use symbols which are universal, that is,
something the intended audience understand.
Some topics need no symbols. Examples: Peace,
freedom - dove Education - torch, open book
Greed - crocodile Success, victory - laurel,
medal Justice – balance
6. Visualize the idea. Limit the use of words and
labels to the minimum.
7. Get the readers involved and avoid libelous
ideas and insinuations