21st Century Literature

• Asia


  Largest continent on the planet
• Asia


  • Colossal in terms of scope and length of existence
• Persia


  • Iran
• Mesopotamia


  • Tigris and the Euphrates
  • Iraq
• Asia Manor


  • Turkey
• China


  One of the world's cradles of civilization
• China


  14th century BCE
• Yellow river/ Huang Ho river


  First nurtured the human settlement; whenever the river overflows, it leaves yellow mark
• Tang dynasty


  Finest era of Chinese literature; no civil war/ colonization
• Chinese poets from Tang dynasty


  • Tu Fu
  • Li Po
  • Wang Wei
• Tu Fu


  Poet historian for portrayal of political disorder
• Li Po


  Wrote vocational verse and wrote piece about himself; clear imagery; and conversational tone
• Wang Wei


  Poetry often reflects themes of nature, solitude, and introspection, and his style is characterized by simplicity, elegance, and profound depth
• Chinese dynasties


  • Xia
  • Shang
  • Chou
  • Chin
  • Han
  • Tang
  • Sung
  • Yuan
  • Ming
  • Manchu
• Contemporary Chinese writers


  Remained prolific
• Contemporary Chinese writers


  • Mo Yan - a fictionist who won the 2012 Nobel Prize for literature; Known for hallucinating realism
• Feminism in China


  Collection of historical movement and ideologies; Began in the 20th century in the tradition w/ Chinese revolution
• Feminism in China


  • Lotus/ feet binding: beauty standard
  • Concubines: to bear children for the emperor
• Tanka


  1. 7-5-7-7 (31 syllables)
• Hokku


  First 3 lines of Tanka
• Haiku


  1. 7-5 (17 syllables)
• Japan was influenced by Chinese language and literature
• Noh


  14th century; known for its slow, deliberate movements, minimalist stage settings, and symbolic costumes and masks; Themes: supernatural beings, spirits, and historical tales; highly stylized movements and chanting, which create a mesmerizing and spiritual atmosphere
• Kabuki


  Emerged in the Ido Period (17th century); features elaborate costumes, exaggerated makeup, and dramatic gestures; historical events, domestic dramas, and romantic stories; Performances often involve elaborate stage effects, including trapdoors, revolving stages, and flying actors
• Kumadori and kesho


  A special makeup used in kabuki and noh
• Hanamichi


  Footbridge/ extension of stage; to make dramatic entrances and exits
• Onnagata


  Refers to male actors who specialize in portraying female roles. This is particularly prominent in Kabuki and Noh theater traditions
• Aragoto


  Hard/rough style
• Wagoto


  Soft style
• Japanese literature reflects the traditional Japanese cultural identity: simple yet complex, imperfect yet abounding with beauty
• Mie


  A dramatic pose or gesture often used by actors to emphasize a specific moment or emotion in the play, typically at a climactic point, and to capture the audience's attention; the actor strikes a powerful and striking pose, often accompanied by a facial expression that conveys the character's emotions or intentions
• Korean poets wrote poetry in Classical Chinese as early as the 4th century BCE
• 3 centuries later, this progresses to transliterations of Chinese works
• Transliterations


  Replaces letters from the original alphabet with the letters of the new one; shows how the term was produced in another language
• Koreans develop Hangul, their distinct writing system; literature flourished


  15th century
• Korean war led to the creation of north and south Korea
• Themes in Korean works since the 1950s


  • Alienation
  • Conscience
  • Disintegration
• Themes in 20th century Korean literature

  • Self-identity
• Veda, Brahmanas and the Upanishads are the Hindu writings that are the root of Indian literature
• Veda was written in Sanskrit language, which gave first birth to literary works