REVIEWER ENGLISH

JAPANESE LITERATURE
JAPAN
• One of the world’s densely populated region has as high literacy rate
• greatly influenced by Chinese
• the Japanese posses rich, ancient literature that is distinctly their own
KANJI
• adopted writing system
• a Chinese characters around the 6th century
MAN’ YOGANA
• the earliest form of KANA or symbolic writing adopted from the Chinese characters

BEGININGS OF JAPANESE LITERATURE

• can be trace back to oral traditions
• first recorded in written form using Chinese symbols

TWO MOST IMPORTANT LITERACY WORKS UNDER NARA ERA:

1. Kojiki recorded of Ancient Matters
Glorifies the Japanese imperial family and its descent
2. Nihon Shoki is a chronological record of Japan’s history
Chronicles of Japan
3. Fudoki record of Wind and Earth
Describe the history, geography, and folklore of various Japanese provinces.
4. Man’ yoshu (collection of Ten Thousand Leaves)
Collection of 4500 poem authored by emperors and unknown commers
Was considered the most brilliant literature of the period
5. Tanka a verse form consisting of 31 syllables ( 5-7-5-7-7) rose under the Nara period
6. Kokin Wakashu or Kokinshu collection of poem from ancient and modern times
the first Japanese poetry collection
7. Heian Period Golden era of Japanese art and literature
8. Genji monogatari Tale of Genji
the greatest monks of the world literature written in Hiragana script about a certain Prince
Genji
Lady Murashi Shikibu
Sei Shonagon astored mokura no sushi ( the Pillow Book)
Collection of essay
Konjaku mokogatari tales of a time that is Now Past
Collection of more than 1000 Buddhist and secular tale from China, India and Japan
Samurai Japanese soldiers
The tale of the Herke Japan’s greatest historical fiction written in the early 1300’s
Haiku poetic form of 17 syllables
Perfected by Motsuc Basho
( 5-7-5)
• is a tradition form of Japanese poetry .

Features of Haiku
• it contains three lines
• it has 5 syllables in the first line, when seven in the second and five in the last line
• it contains 17 syllables in total
• does not rhyme
• about nature or natural phenomena
• about love and feelings
Steps in writing Haiku
1. Begin by reading examples of Haiku
2. Create a list of possible subjects that you might write about, considering various aspects of nature that inspire
you, consider traditional subjects like animals nature and seasons or smething completely different even the
smallest details can make for great haiku.
3. After you choose a subject, you may want to at a few pictures of it, or go outside and admire it. Like all of the
great poets simply admiring nature and the world then.
4. Make a list of words that relate to the subject you have chosen, be as descriptive as possible.
Think about feelings and emotions too.
5. The last line is usually used to make as observation about your subject. It can be fun to add a surprise here.
Looking through the list you wrote can you create and the third?
6. Decide if you want to write the 5-7-5 rule or branch outside the limits of this pattern. (if you have trouble
determining the syllables in a word because you are not sure how to pronounce it, you can look up the word
here on your dictionary for a count of the syllables.

TANKA is a thirty-one syllable poem

Translate as ‘short song’
5-7-5-7-7 syllable count form
One of the oldest Japanese forms
Originated in the seventh century
Makes use of poetic devices
Metaphors, similes and personification
Often convey deep feelings about nature, love, or desires
What is the structure of a tanka poem?
• consists of 5 lines and 31 syllables
• each line has a set number of syllables
Line 1 - 5 syllables
Line 2 - 7 “
Line 3 - 5 “
Line 4 - 7 “
Line 5 - 7 “

THOUSAND CRANES Japanese Tradition

By: Yasunari Kanabata • tea ceremony
• wearing kimono
Characters • miai
• Kikuji
• Chikako SIMPLE SUBJECT noun , pronoun or group of words
• Inamura girl that acts a noun which is being talked about in a
• Mrs Ota and daughter sentence
Tea ceremony Simple Predicate verb, or verb phrase that tells
Chikako invites Kikuji to the Tea ceremony something about the subject
Qualities of Kikuji
• observant COMPOUND SUBJECT 2 or more subject joined by
• undecided conjunctions (FANBOYS)
• humble
• careful Compound predicate 2 or more verbs joined by
conjunctions that share in a same subject