Arts and Humanities Chapter 4 Literature

Binding Generations The written word is our story. Through writing we communicate ideas, feelings, and facts. Throughout human history men and women have applied the written word to define and speak to their respective generations. So powerful were some of these works that we have dubbed them “CLASSICS” because the message is relevant generations later.

An Ancient Voice - Homer The Iliad was the tale of Trojan War attributed to a bard named Homer. Whether this legendary man was real or not has been debated and scholars are of the opinion that little evidence exists to support the claim. More than likely, this was a tale sung by epic poets of the Greek world for centuries before a uniform writing system existed. But once committed to writing, it has given our world a better understanding of the Greek world. We learn about their morality and their ideas of heroism. And we read throughout the epic refined concepts of fate and tragedy that have influenced the thought of many subsequent generations.

A Modern Voice – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Page 78 Quote: “Literature transmits incontrovertible condensed experience…from generation to generation. In this way literature becomes the living memory of a nation.” He wrote from experience about life under Stalinist oppression and became a major voice for dissidents within the Communist system. Author of works such as One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Gulag Archipelago, he continued the great tradition of Russian writers such as Tolstoi and Dostoevskii. He captured the feeling of helplessness and endurance under the oppressive Soviet political system.

Genres of Literature The Poem –Rhythmic and accompanied by music –Easier to remember and pass on The Novel –A long narrative –Characters are defined and refined The Short Story –Offers insight or revelation with less character development than the novel –Popularized by magazines as literature that could be read in a single sitting

Poetry and Emotions Sappho’s Ode to Aphrodite Tells a story of unrequited love, an almost universal theme in modern literature, film, and music William Shakespeare’s Sonnets Sonnet 29 is a beautiful insight into human emotions of frustration, envy, love, and acceptance. John Donne Complexity of emotion and autobiography in his poetry, yet his experiences are not unique to people in our own day. Edna St. Vincent Millay 20 th Century American poet with many works addressing the concept of lost love.

Poetry and Emotions Nature Poems – Japanese Haiku Eastern cultures make nature the center of human experience. The old pond by Matsuo Basho Many Forms of the Martial Arts depict the movements of certain animals. Religious Poetry – The Psalms of King David. These are moral messages to guide and inspire human action and belief. Above all, they express worship. These are still recited in religious liturgies today. An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again.

Poetry and Human Experience The Harlem Renaissance – Expressing the experience of African-Americans. Georgia Douglas Johnson’s Black Woman This story captures the moods and feeling of the urban African-American woman’s experience

The Novel Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote is a story of a man of ideals discovered through reading that seeks to be a hero in a complex world that does not fit these ideals. In heroic character, he is considered by most to be insane. When he “recovers” his sanity, he renounces chivalry but does not live happy life. John Steinbeck is a 20 th Century American author who captures better than anyone the oppressive nature of the Great Depression in America. In The Grapes of Wrath we see the Joad family stripped of dignity simply trying to survive in a “land of plenty.”

One of the most, if not THE MOST, influential modern horror writers. King explores the darkness of human experience in a style reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe, the 19 th Century American author and poet. Identify a Novel you have read and what meaning it had for you. Stephen King

The Short Story A genre which has been around for thousands of years popularized by modern magazines. The short story generally relates some truth or experience in a form that does not require hours of reading. Bible Stories Creation, Kings, Judges, the Parables Mark Twain Humor and the American Experience Today, modern television thrives on the short story format

Identifying with the Work The first discussion thread asks you to comment on the reading of “The Lost Beautifulness,” by Anzia Yezierska. As you read this, look at the Mood, the Characters, and the Times. Try to imagine yourself in each of the main characters’ roles. This helps us better appreciate the complexity of the work.

Poetry and the 2 nd Discussion Thread Poetry bridges the gap between lyrics and literature. Many songs are best described as poetry put to music. Simon and Garfunkel are great examples of the Poetic spirit of Music. Songs such as The Boxer, El Condor Pasa, and Bridge Over Troubled Water, demonstrate this quality. Poetry asks you to look inward as you read.

Sonnet 29 - Shakespeare When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself, and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least: Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee,--and then my state (Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate; For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings'.

When I’ve fallen out of favor with fortune and men, All alone I weep over my position as a social outcast, And pray to heaven, but my cries go unheard, And I look at myself, cursing my fate, Wishing I were like one who had more hope, Wishing I looked like him; wishing I were surrounded by friends, Wishing I had this man's skill and that man's freedom. I am least contented with what I used to enjoy most. But, with these thoughts – almost despising myself, I, by chance, think of you and then my melancholy Like the lark at the break of day, Rises From the dark earth and (I) sing hymns to heaven; For thinking of your love brings such happiness That then I would not change my position in life with kings.

Stephen King on Writing The bottom line is that you must write. The story will start to write itself as you become invested in your characters and their adventures. Do not worry about perfecting the first draft; the first draft is an opportunity to dump all of your ideas and get them on "paper." Once you have a first draft down you can go back and revise, add, and delete information eNotes.com Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. (excerpted from Stephen King’s On Writing)

Summary Literature comes to us in many forms from many cultures, but we can find in all of it a connection to the human condition. It is timeless in this respect. Civilization changes. Technology changes. But humanity, with all its interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics, remains relatively constant throughout time.