According to Dr.

Jose Rizal,
- Being a Filipino is important; but it is just as
important to recognize that he is a citizen of the
world.

- As Filipinos, we read literature from different

countries to discover different cultures and
perspectives present in our world.

- In the end, what we may discover in the world

might be something that can help improve our
nation and ourselves.
- World Literature collected works and textbook are
abundant, but many are from foreign
perspectives/standpoints that may estrange the
Filipino reader.

- The goal of the 21st Century World Literature is to

introduce these stories to Filipino readers to show
them the wonders of the world and to help them
come to terms with these stories on their own
ground.
Three Features of World Literature
According to David Damrosch, literature in
general and world literature in particular has
often been seen in one or more of three ways:

1. As an established body of Classics;

2. As masterpieces; and

3. As multiple windows to the world.

 As an established body of Classics
• The “Classics” is a work of excellent, often
identified particularly with Greek and Roman
Literature (still taught today) and often closely
associated with imperial values, as Frank
Kerode has shown in his book “The Classic”.
Classical Epics
Greek
The Iliad – written by Homer, consists of 24
books covering the last 49 days of the tenth year
of the Trojan War, probably in the 10th century B.C.
The Odyssey – also by Homer, consists also of
24 books, represents the ten-year struggle of
Odysseus to reach and save his own kingdom,
Ithaca, after the fall of Troy.
Roman
The Aeneid – was written by Virgil in the first
century A.D. .The story tells of how Aeneas is able
to find the city of Rome.
Greek Literature
• Has an enduring quality. It is as alive today as it was
when it was written more than 3000 years ago. It has
universality that is truly remarkable
• Read and admired by all nations of the world
regardless of race, religion or culture.
• Greek Art is the highest form of classic art and has
four major forms: architecture, painting, sculpture,
and pottery.
• The Greek mind became the foundation of the
literature of the Western world.
• The Greek literature afford the most splendid
examples of artistic beauty and excellence that the
world has ever known.
 As masterpieces…
• Masterpieces came into prominence in the 19th
century as literary studies began to de-
emphasize the dominant Greco-Roman classics

• The texts selected in the 21st Century World

Literature can hardly be considered classics,
because they have been written in
contemporary times and need the test of time
to be considered classics.
 As multiple windows to the world…
• Reading other nation’s work shows interest in
works that could serve as “windows” into foreign
worlds, even we have differing worlds, there are
visible links to each other at all.

• Even countries have different culture, tradition,

and society, there are commonalities of the human
experience and find out, in the end, that we are all
the same.
 As multiple windows to the world…

• For example in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand

Splendid Suns”, it gives us an important glimpse
of what it is like to be female and Muslim in
Afghanistan today.

• Even though we, readers, have never left our

town and city, because of the stories that we have
read, we must have felt what it was like to walk
the boulevard of Paris or try the entire
Appalachian Trail in the Eastern United States.
South Korea North Korea Japan Saudi Arabia

Vietnam China

Indonesia India

Malaysia

Israel

Thailand Philippines
 Asia is known to be the most
populous and largest continent of
the planet.

Asia is a foundation of the

human race, world religions and
civilization which is composed of a
widespread variety of ethnic
groups, diverse cultures,
environments, economics, historical
linkages and varied governmental
systems making it rich in written
literature.
• Since it’s the biggest continent, a wealth of
written or spoken text have been established
here which reflects its nation dwellers.
• Asian Literature mirrors
not only the
customs and traditions of Asian countries
but also their philosophy of life which on
the whole are deeply and predominantly
contemplative and persuasively sweet.
• Asian Literature is the reflection of the
storm and the stress of
developing nations seeking a place
under the sun which every student must
understand so he may know how this
literature affects the history and culture of a
nation.
Many of the literary works are handed down by oral
tradition because of the lack of literacy and did not
make it possible to write literature down.
 Histories, myths, legends, including
stories, dramas, riddles, songs, proverbs and
other literary works were handed by mouth
from generation to generation to entertain,
educate and remind the people about their
past, heroic deeds of their people, ancestry
and culture.
• the other importance is that this writing is able to teach
people and allow them to learn about different
experiences and cultures from all over the world.
- Poems and ballads about of
the unique struggles and
successes of Asian people.
In most cultures, when more
people were able to read and
write, history
became recorded in prose,
plays, and textbooks.
 Poetry/Songs - about the history and culture of the
Asian people were written and performed, and
then passed down.
Genres
Today, Asians still express their creativity, and
honor their culture, by crafting beautiful poems,
such as haikus, ballads, or sonnets. Poems with
specific structures or
meters are also prevalent -
these have a free-spirited
feeling.
Genres
Plays - Playwrights use
dialogue and monologue to Plays, when performed,
will feature backdrops,
reinforce ideas, emotions costumes, and jargon that
and themes. reflects the culture and
unique spirit of Asian
Many playwrights celebrate people.
their own culture and
ancestry by setting plays in
the past, and
referencing historical
events in their storylines.
 Brief Introduction to Chinese
Literature
• Has very ancient beginnings and was first
recorded about 5000 years ago.
• Chinese language is monosyllabic and does
not have any polysyllabic words.
• Chinese is a tonal language.
• Chinese writings has no alphabets but consists
of 50000 characters and each character does
not represent a word but an idea.
• The child learning to write Chinese has to
learn to write 214 basic signs.
 Brief Introduction to Chinese
Literature
• Chinese is written from right to left, in
columns from top to bottom.
• Early Chinese literature recognizes five books,
called the Five Classics which form the
foundation of their cultural, political, and
traditional life.
• Drama and fiction developed as important
forms of literature during the 1200s.
 Two Great Chinese Philosophers
1. Lao Tzu- father of Taoism(a religion stresses
freedom from desires, simplicity of lifestyle
and understanding the way of the universe)
- Author of the book “Tao Te Ching” (Way and
Its Power) which contains his words of
wisdom.
 CONFUCIUS
Confucius was one of he
most influential figures, and one
of the truly great men in the
history of China.
He was a teacher, editor,
politician, and philosopher. In his
philosophy, he emphasized the
importance of moral conduct,
correctness of social
relationships, justice and
sincerity.
 Sample Sayings
• Do not worry about people not knowing you,
but strive to be worth knowing
• A man who has committed mistake and does
not correct it is committing another mistake.
• To repay evil with kindness is a sign of
generous character; to repay kindness with
evil is the sign of a criminal.
 Confucius
• The Analects of Confucius, a collection of
sayings of Confucius, contain truth about
social relations between and among family
members or friends.
• Lao Tzu and Confucius greatly influenced the
Chinese way of life. Their teachings became
the guiding principles of Chinese people in
conducting their personal lives, family and
social relations, and political dealings.
 Brief Introduction to Japanese
Literature
-The written language consists mainly of
characters borrowed from the Chinese.
-Japan has developed a basic alphabet of only
47 characters called Katakana
- Reading became a very popular pastime. It was
a common sight in Japan to see circulating
libraries carried from house to house on the
backs of men.
 Brief Introduction to Japanese
Literature
• Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters)- earliest
Japanese literary work which relates the
creation of the world, describes the gods and
goddesses of the mythological period, facts
about the earliest history of Japan
• Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan)-tells of the early
history of Japan in poetry and shows the
influence of the Chinese.
 Brief Introduction to Japanese
Literature
• Drama- is the favorite form of entertainment.
- The plays are long and generally about the
history and tradition, or the lives and
adventures of gods and heroes.
- The performance begins in the morning and
can last all day.
- The spectators bring their food with them.
 Three Types of Drama
1. Noh Play- is national theatre of Japan.
2. The Joruri (or puppet play)- very popular
- The puppets are beautifully made and
lifelike in size. The strings are expertly
manipulated and the dialogues are
realistically interpreted.
3. Kabuki – the play for the masses which is
less intellectual and more realistic.
 Brief Introduction to Japanese
Literature
• Poetry- is a favorite among the Japanese
Manyoshu- the oldest collection of poetry.
- The writing of poetry was a required ability
among the aristocratic classes.
- Poetic ability was also necessary for courtship.

Haiku- the shortest form of Japanese poetry but

the most popular.
INDIA
 Brief Introduction to Indian Literature
• Sanskrit- common ancestral language
• Vedas- contain hymns addressed to the Indian
gods, who are very numerous; also contain
stories about these gods; and serve as the Bible
of the Indians
• It is based on piety. Indians believe that a
knowledge of God save the humankind.
• The masterpieces are written in the form of epics.
• Indians believe in reincarnation.
Brief Introduction to Indian Literature
• Mahabharata- considered the greatest epic
of India. It tells of two rival bands of brothers,
descendants of a common grandfather, King
Pandu. When he died, he left his five sons in
the care of his brother who was to be regent
while his sons were still minors. The regent
himself has many sons, and they desired the
kingdom for themselves. The result was a
period of intrigues and battles that resulted
in the exile of the five brothers.
 Brief Introduction to Indian Literature
• Ramayana-recounts the adventure s of Rama and his
wife Sita.

Rabindranath Tagore- a great Indian poet and dramatist.

- Born of a noble family, received his education under
private tutors and then went to England to study law. He
visited Europe and Japan and went to US giving lectures
and readings of his own written poems.
VISHNU SHARMAN
- An Indian scholar, author, and
sage
- Wrote Panchatantra, a
collection of fables which
drive home a truth or a
lesson; and contains some of
the most important short
stories in the world, and
these have reached us in
translation from language to
language down the centuries.
 references
• www.afroasianliterature.wordpress.com
• www.katsandogz.com
• www.broadcaster.org.uk