21st Century Flashcards
is the world’s largest and most popular continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres.
covers 8.7% of the Earth’s total surface area and comprises 30% of its land area. With approximately 4.3 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world’s current human population.
Asia
One of the few ancient civilization to have its individual writing concept
Chinese Civilization
Has over 20,000 characters the average
Chinese Language
Is one of the most major literacy with an interrupted history and more than 30,000 years, dating back at least to the 14th century
Chinese Literature
4 classes of Chinese Literature
- Classical Literature
- Modern Literature
- Contemporary Literature
- Present Age Literature
is considered as China’s greatest poet. He was known for his works of lüshi.
Du Fu (712-770)
a Chinese poetry with eight lines,
and each has five, six or seven
characters following a strict tonal
pattern
Lüshi
also called Li Po, rivaled Du Fu for the title of China’s
greatest poet.
Li Bai
Poems and odes to the Gods were composed in this era
Early Japanese Language
One of the renowned poetic forms is haiku and the various theatrical genres, namely: Noh and
the Kabuki
Japan
Japan’s first literary figure, was known for his works of
tanka and chōka.
Kakinomoto Hitomaro
the basic form of Japanese poetry, has five lines in five-seven- five-seven-seven syllable pattern.
Tanka
has alternating lines of five and seven syllables
and ends with an extra line of seven
syllables.
Chōka
Early writers focused on describing and trying to
make sense out of their challenging and new
environment.
Early American Writing
300 cultures, over 200 languages
One common activity – storytelling
Much oral tradition was lost to European
diseases
Native American Experience
Journals, diaries, letters and logs of first settlers (Christopher Columbus) Settlers wrote home and described the landscape.
Explorers and Early Settlers
Believed writing was a tool to help understand
the Bible.
Logic, clarity and order are emphasized in their
style
Sermons warn the dangers of sinful ways
The Puritan Tradition
Their stories and poems were spread
orally
The character of early American
literature is strongly influenced by several
factors.
It was the era of colonizing the continent.
The first writers brought mainly English ideas and
ways of writing,
The Colonial Period (1492 - 1700)
As years passed and literary theory developed, the
writers who adopted the English style are now
sometimes called
Pale Faces (Franklin, Longfellow,
James, Pound).
is considered to be the first American
writer.
“His A True Relation of Virginia”
John Smith (1580–1631)
the first American book written in
English.
“His A True Relation of Virginia”
was a Puritan writer who described life
in the early English settlements.
His book “Of Plymouth Plantation” full of religious topics and depictions of a difficult life in the colony
William Bradford (1590–1657)
His book full of religious topics and depictions of
a difficult life in the colony.
“Of Plymouth Plantation”
wrote lyrical, religious and personal
poetry.
She is the author of “To My Dear and
Loving Husband.”
Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672)
Essays, speeches and pamphlets became more important, the Puritans’ religious poetry fell out.
The writers became more politically, anti-British and revolutionary oriented, rationalism and enlightenment prevailed.
The Revolutionary Period (1700–1800)
He can be described as what we call a
“renaissance man” – a person of many
skills.
“The Way to Wealth”
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
gives the reader advice how to become
successful – hard work and common
sense are very important.
“The Way to Wealth”
An English-born essayist and
pamphleteer.
“Common Sense”
Thomas Paine (1737–1809)
His pamphlet is a sharp critique of the colonial system
and explains why the Americans should rise against the English
“Common Sense”
was an architect, essayist, lawyer, politician, and later became the 3rd President of the United States of America.
He is the main author of the “Declaration of
Independence”
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
Writings were less political and religious, the
topics were mostly American, and the writers
stressed imagination, nature and individualism.
The Period of Romanticism and
Transcendentalism (1800–1880)
were a group of romantic writers who contributed to The
Knickerbocker, a magazine published in New
York.
Knickerbockers
is one of the most important figures of the
American literary tradition.
He drank alcohol and misfortune had a notable
impact on his work.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49)
Writers left behind the styles and topics adopted
describing life as it was with its negatives
typical for the period.
American Realism and Naturalism
(1860–1930)
was a great American novelist, short story
writer and humorist.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Prince and the Pauper
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
Mark Twain
writers were looking for new ways of
writing and new topics.
Their writings expressed their feelings
about living in the modern age.
American Modernism and the Literature of the
First Half of the 20th Century
