Kent Vincent C.

Alburan
BSED ENGLISH 2
AFRO-ASIAN LITERATURE

Characteristics of Asian Literature

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
hauntingly sweet. It is a reflection of the storm and 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.

Asian literature can be dated back in prehistoric times. An exact date is harder to come by
given the wide topic this question asks to be answered. Like most literature, earlier written
documents were based on stories passed by word of mouth.

Arabian Literature

A written Arabic literature began to be known with the collection of the Qur’an, the
sacred book of Islam, in Arabia in the 7th century A.D.

The history of Arabic literature is usually divided into periods marking the dynastic changes and
divisions that took place within the Islamic world which include: Umayyad and Abbasid periods.

Arabs possessed a highly developed poetry, composed for recitation and transmitted orally from
generation to generation which reflected and praised the customs and values of the desert
environment in which they arose.

An inventive type of folk literature, exemplified in The Thousand and One Nights (popularly
known as the Arabian Nights) drew upon the recitations of wandering storytellers.

Hebrew Literature

The most significant characteristic of Hebrew literature is that the greater part of it is
directly or indirectly the outgrowth of the Bible. Prose literature of the historical type constitutes
a large portion of the Old Testament.
Hindu Literature

Indian literature is based on piety, a deeply religious spirit. The oldest know literature in
India is the Vedas. According to Hindu tradition, the Vedas are apauruṣeya “not of human
agency”, are supposed to have been directly revealed, and thus are called śruti (“what is heard”).
This contains hymns and prayers for gods. Indians believe that a knowledge of gods and a strong
belief in Hinduism is necessary to save mankind.

Indian literary masterpieces are written in epic form, corresponds to the great epochs in the
history of India. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the most important epics of India; the
latter is the longest epic in the world.

Medieval Indian literature, the earliest works in many of the languages were sectarian, designed
to advance or to celebrate some unorthodox regional belief. Examples are the Caryapadas in
Bengali, Tantric verses of the 12th century, and the Lilacaritra (circa 1280), in Marathi.

Chinese Literature

Through cultural contacts, Chinese literature has profoundly influenced the literary
traditions of other Asian countries, particularly Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Chinese poetry,
besides depending on end rhyme and tonal metre for its cadence, is characterized by its
compactness and brevity. Most literary works are deeply rooted on the teachings of Confucius.

Japanese Literature

The origins of Japanese literature lie in oral poetry and mythology, and the earliest
surviving work in Japanese Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) transforms such myths into
written form, explaining the cosmology of the Japanese and justifying the legitimacy of the
ruling house as descendants of the sun goddess. The most obvious characteristic that sets
Japanese literature, and especially poetry, apart from other world literatures is its briefness, its
brevity.

Contemporary Japanese writing in translation has found a wide audience in the West, in
part because much new fiction uses American literary approaches—-fast, wild action, low-down
language, and irreverent attitudes toward social institutions —–to make works that are still
distinctively Japanese.
Persian Literature

Persian literature has its roots in the culture of pre-Islamic Iran although it was strongly
influenced by the Arabic language and culture of its conquerors. Persian poetry, providing the
stronger cultural tradition, adopted the rigid Arabic ode which was used for various subjects but
especially for love in both its profane and mystical manifestations. Persian prose encompasses
stories, fables, histories, and manuals of conduct, among other forms. Classical Persian prose
was often characterized by rhyme, but this led to artificial intricacies and thus to its subsequent
decline.

As a whole, Asian literature is a compact of ideas wherein culture, belief, religion, and
values collide. This can be reflected from the different writers or authors all over Asia who want
to share their views, ideas, and emotions through different literary pieces.