wee Flashcards
What is the foundation of culture in the Middle East?
Islam
Islam is an essential component of the region’s literary tradition.
Name three literary traditions influenced by Arabic literature.
- Persian
- Byzantine
- Andalusian
Arabic literature has also influenced European literature.
Who is Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad?
An Egyptian poet, journalist, and literary critic known for his Abqariyat series
The series covers the lives of seven important Sahabah.
What is Taha Hussein known for?
He is known as ‘The Dean of Arabic Literature’ and wrote ‘The Days’
The book is a novelized autobiography detailing his childhood and studies.
What is the pseudonym of Ali Ahmad Said Esber?
Adonis
He is a leader of the modernist movement in contemporary Arabic poetry.
Who is Etgar Keret?
An Israeli writer known for short stories and graphic novels
His work ‘Fly Already’ won Israel’s Sapir Prize in Literature.
What are the roots of Indian literature?
- Veda
- Brahmanas
- Upanishads
These texts date back to as early as 1500 BCE.
Who is Kalidasa?
A famous Indian writer considered the Hindu Shakespeare
His works are foundational in Indian literature.
What influences Southeast Asian literature?
- Buddhist
- Thai
- English
These influences are particularly evident in Burmese literature.
Who is Rabindranath Tagore?
A Bengali poet and the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature
He won in 1913 for ‘The English Gitanjali’.
What is the theme of Prem Chand’s novel ‘Godaan’?
Socio-economic deprivation and exploitation of the village poor
It is considered one of the greatest Hindi novels of modern Indian literature.
Raja Rao is known for which novel?
‘The Serpent and the Rope’
It is a semi-autobiographical novel that explores spiritual truth.
What is R. K. Narayan’s famous novel?
‘The Guide’
It tells the story of a tour guide’s transformation into a spiritual guide.
Who is Chart Korbjitti?
The most successful Thai writer known for ‘Khamphiphaksa’
He received the S.E.A Write Award and was named National Artist in Literature.
What is Nguyen Du known for?
The epic poem ‘The Tale of Kieu’
It recounts the life and sacrifices of Thuy Kieu.
What is the theme of Tengku Amir Hamzah’s poetry?
God and His relationship to humanity, fate, dissatisfaction, and escape
His poem collection ‘Nyangi Sunyi’ explores these themes.
What is the significance of Abdullah Qodiriy?
He was a prominent Uzbek writer known for ‘O’tgan kunlar’
It is the first full-length Uzbek novel.
Who is Mukhtar Auez-uli?
An early Soviet Kazakh writer known for the novel ‘Abay’
It is based on the life and poetry of Kunanbay-uli.
What is ‘Jamila’ by Chingiz Aytmatov about?
A love story set during World War II
It is told from the viewpoint of a character reflecting on his childhood.
What characterizes African literature?
It includes oral traditions and written literature
It reflects the experiences of colonization and post-colonization.
Who is Chinua Achebe?
A Nigerian novelist known for ‘Things Fall Apart’
It addresses traditional Igbo life during colonialism.
What is Wole Soyinka notable for?
He was the first black African Nobel Prize winner
His play ‘A Dance of the Forests’ critiques emerging Nigerian nationalism.
What does Kofi Awoonor’s ‘This Earth, My Brother’ represent?
A narrative involving a day in the life of an attorney and a mystical journey
It symbolizes the new nation of Ghana.
What is ‘Weep Not, Child’ about?
The Mau-Mau Uprising in British Kenya Colony
It is the first major novel in English by an East African.
