World Lit Module 7 Japanese
World Lit Module 7 Japanese
World Lit Module 7 Japanese
WORLD LITERATURE
MODULE 7
JAPANESE LITERATURE
The Heian period has been referred to as the golden era of art and literature in
Japan. During this era, literature became centered on a cultural elite of nobility and
monks. The imperial court particularly patronized the poets, most of whom were
courtiers or ladies-in-waiting. Reflecting the aristocratic atmosphere, the poetry was
elegant and sophisticated and expressed emotions in a rhetorical style. Editing the
resulting anthologies of poetry soon became a national pastime. The iroha poem, now
one of two standard orderings for the Japanese syllabary, was also developed during
the early Heian period.
The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari), written in the early 11th century by a
woman named Murasaki Shikibu, is considered the pre-eminent novel of Heian
fiction. Other important writings of this period include the Kokin Wakashū (905),
a waka-poetry anthology, and The Pillow Book (Makura no Sōshi) (990s). The Pillow
Book was written by Sei Shōnagon, Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival, as an
essay about the life, loves, and pastimes of nobles in the Emperor's court. Another
notable piece of fictional Japanese literature was Konjaku Monogatarishū, a collection of
over a thousand stories in 31 volumes. The volumes cover various tales from
India, China and Japan.
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Questions:
1) Why was the Heian Period referred to as the golden era of art and literature in
Japan?
2) Why were Chinese characters adapted in the Japanese writing system?
3) How did Indian Literature influence Japanese literature?
4) Who is Ryunosuke Akutagawa?
5) Who is Sei Shōnagon?