The document provides an overview of Chinese and Japanese literature and some of the prominent authors from each tradition. It discusses the historical background and political periods of China that influenced literature. Several genres are mentioned, including poetry, prose, and drama. Specific Chinese literary works like the Book of Songs are outlined. Individual Chinese poets such as Tu Fu, Li Bai, and Li Qingzhao are also summarized. For Japan, the focus is on poetry or waka and the early chronicles Kojiki and Nihongi.

1. MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
KANDAHAR UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND
LITERATURE
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
World Literature
Chinese/Japanese Literature
Instructor: Teaching Assistant Rahmatullah Katawazai

2. PRE-EVALUATIVE QUESTIONS
 How do you know Raindranath Tagore?
 Do you know the problematic literary work of Salman Rushdi?
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3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Pre-Evaluative Questions
 Outcomes of the lesson
 Chinese political periods (Families in Authority)
 Chinese Literature
 Chinese prose
 Chinese well-known authors
 Japanese Literature
 Japanese Poetry
 Japanese prose
 Japanese well-known authors
 Evaluation
 References
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4. OUTCOMES OF TODAY’S LESSON
Students should be able to know the following:
 To be able to know the historical background of both
Chinese and Japanese literature;
 To be able to know some of the well-know authors of
both literature;
 To be able to separate some of the political eras in
Chinese literatures;
 To be able to know some of the most famous genres of
Chinese and Japanese literature;
 To be able to know the similarities and the differences
of both literatue.
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5. THE XIA DYNASTY
 The Xia Dynasty (2070–1600 BC) was the first recorded
dynasty in China, however the records and its existence are
disputed.
 It's generally believed that the Xia empire consisted of
several tribes.
 Xia Dynasty Key Facts
 Chinese: 夏朝 Xiàcháo /sshyaa-chaoww/ 'Summer Dynasty'
 Established: 2070 BC
 Capitals: Around today's Henan and Shanxi provinces.
 Features: Clans/Tribes were united as a small empire and
ruled using the dynastic feudal system.
 Succeeded by: the Shang Dynasty in 1600 BC
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6. THE SHANG DYNASTY (1600–1046 BC)
 The Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) was the second of the
three ancient Chinese dynasties, preceded by the Xia Dynasty and
succeeded by the Zhou Dynasty. Based around the Yellow River
valley, the Shang capital was Anyang.
 It was the first dynasty with written records —
inscriptions/writings on bones and bronze objects.
 Quick Facts About the Shang Dynasty
 It invented writing in the form of pictograms and to have written
records.
 It moved the capital five times, with the last one being Yin
(modern-day Anyang).
 Most of the information we know about the Shang Dynasty came
from the bones found in Yin.
 Bronze works were developed during the Shang Dynasty.
 Women played a very important role in society during the Shang
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7. THE ZHOU DYNASTY (1045–221 BC)
 The Zhou Dynasty (1045–221 BC) It was technically
the longest dynasty, though the Zhouhad effectively
lost power by 770 BC.
 Major philosophies and religions arisen that were
the basis of Chinese belief in later eras, such as
Confucianism and Daoism(Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu) .
 The era is divided into three periods: the Western
Zhou Dynasty (1045–771 BC)； the Spring and
Autumn Period (770–476), when the empire divided
into dozens of competing kingdoms, which then into
several big and warring kingdoms during the Warring
States Period (475–221)
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8. SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD (770–476),
 The 800-year period of the Zhou Dynasty (1045–221) is
divided into three periods of time.
 The Spring and Autumn Period was a fruitful time for the
emergence of key philosophies, schools of thought, and
religious ideas as small states expanded, peacefully existed,
and battled wars.
 History of the Spring and Autumn Period
 In 771 BC, after King You of Zhou replaced his wife, the
capital was attacked by his wife's father who ruled a region
called Shen and by a travelling tribe called the Quanrong.
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9. CONT…
 The rulers of several of the regions in the empire stated
the queen's son, who was named Ji Yijiu, to be the new
king.
 The capital was moved eastward in 770 BC from
Haojing in Xi'an to Luoyang in present-day Henan
Province (marking the start of the Eastern Zhou
Dynasty of 770–221 BC).
 After 771, the Zhou Dynasty became the small leading
clan/tribe.
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10. THE TANG DYNASTY — GOLDEN AGE OF
LITERATURE AND ART
 The Tang Dynasty (618–907) replaced the industrious
but brutal/cruel Sui Dynasty.
 It flourished culturally for over a century before
disaster and conflict slowly brought decline.
 The Tang Dynasty was one of the most flourishing
dynasties in Chinese history. It was the golden age
for poetry and painting, and best known for tricolored
glazed pottery and woodblock printing.
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11.  Facts About the Tang Dynasty
 The Tang's founder, Li Yuan, took the throne by
removing the Sui's emperor.
 Tang's capital was Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an),
while Luoyang was the capital during Emperor Wu
Zetian's reign.
 It had the only female emperor in Chinese history — Wu
Zetian.
 The Tang Dynasty had the region's best poets.
 It was followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten
Kingdoms Period after it broke up into warring
territories.
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CONT…

12. CHINESE LITERATURE
 In China, to be educated has been to be a poet.
Diplomats are quoting passages from China’s
ancient BOOK of SONGS (to be discussed
later).
 All Chinese political officials, in fact, for at least
thirteen hundred years, had to qualify for their
posts by passing a literary examination which
tested, among other things, their ability to
compose original verse in the traditional forms.
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13. CONT…
 Po Chu-I (772-846) (to be discussed later) was a
prominent government official and also the most
popular poet of the time.
 In his poem, congratulating a friend and fellow-
poet on his appointment to the Water-Board, Po
recalls that a famous 5th C. poet, Ho H-sun, had
also held this position.
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14.  In ancient China and Japan, for example, poetry
was prized above all else.
 One story tells of a Samurai warrior who, when
defeated, asked for a pen and paper.
 Thinking that he wanted to write a will before
being executed, his captor granted his wish.
 Instead of writing a will, however, the warrior
wrote a farewell poem that so moved his captor
that he immediately released him.
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CONT…

15. CHINESE POETRY
 More than a hobby or a recreation, poetry to the
Chinese is an exercise of the mind and spirit.
 Most Chinese poetry, then, is intended to express in
words the impression of a moment.
 Words are chosen carefully for the reader the total
experience of the moment; a sight, or sound or
feeling and the thought and emotion that go with it.
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16.  The words in a poem suggest more than they
actually say, the poet tries to evoke the
experience rather than define it or moralize from
it.
 In effect, the poet invites the reader to join him
in experiencing a passing moment.
 The images that the poet focuses attention upon
are mostly drawn from nature.
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CONT…

17. CHINESE PROSE
 While Chinese prose appears to be as old a written
form as poetry, the long, continuous tale or novel did
not develop until about 11th C.
 Behind it lay centuries of oral narration and an old
tradition of Buddhist moral tales and stories of
miracles.
 The 18th C. Chines novel, Dream of the Red
Chamber, had been written and has been widely read
in West.
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18. CONT…
 Drama too, may be said to have arisen in China
in the 11th C.
 Only of recent years and under Western
influence have normal plays, as we would regard
them, been written and produced.
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19. THE BOOK OF SONGS
 It is an anthology of 305 poems, contains the earliest
recorded poetry in Chinese.
 The poems themselves probably date back to 1000 B.
C or earlier, but the compilation was made several
centuries later.
 Known to the Chinese as Shih Ching, these poems
began to be used around 500 B. C. by Confucius and
his followers to illustrate his moral teachings.
 Up till the present day, Chinese schoolchildren have
had to memorize all 305 poems for use on social and
political occasions.
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20. CHU YUAN
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 Chu Yuan (290-343 B. C.) has been called the first
famous man of letters in China’s long accounts.
 He was an important counselor at court, but political
intrigues drove him into exile, and exile made him a
poet.
 His poem under the title of Battle is very famous.

21. WU TI
 Wu Ti (87-157 B. C.) was the sixth emperor of
the Han dynasty; he came to the throne as a
young man of 16 and reigned until his death at
70.
 Though Wu Ti had more significance as
supporter of literature than as a poet, his poem
that follows is famous. Li Fu-jen was a woman
whom the emperor loved. She had just died.
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22. HIS POEM:
Li Fu-jen
The sound of her silk skirt has stopped.
On the marble pavement(carpet) dust grows.
Her empty room is cold and still.
Fallen leaves are piled against the doors.
Longing/wishing for that lovely lady
How can I bring my aching heart to rest?
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23. TAO CHIEN
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 For a time, Tao Chien (372/365-427) was a minor
official, but corruption and intrigue disgusted him
with the court life.
 He finally resigned his public office and withdrew
to a simple life, writing poetry and growing
flowers.
 He has many poems mirrored the beauty of nature.

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 The early years of the Tang Dynasty (617-907)
were something of a golden age, a period of
success and glory at court, during which
literature and art flourished.
 But in 755, a political revolution suffering the
peace and brought the dynasty to the edge of
disappearance.
TU FU (712-770)

25. CONT…
 Tu Fu (712-770) was one of the minor officials
who lost his position in the disturbance, and mush
of the rest of his life was spent in a search for
some post that would help him support his family.
 During one of the times, that Tu Fu was away
from home seeking work, his young son died of
starvation.
 He is counted as having satirical styles in his
poems, was new to Chinese poetry.
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26. PO CHU-I
 Po Chu-I (772-846) was the leader of a group of
poets, a generation or two younger than Tu Fu,
with their own program of political and literary
reforms.
 Like Tu Fu, Po Chu-I was a critical observer of the
injustice of the Tang court.
 Civil wars, foreign invasions, and these abuses of
at the court made days in which he was born.
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27.  Po was ultimately successful, however, and he
achieved a position of considerable reputation before
his death.
 Po Chu-i was the most creative of all Tang Dynasty
poets, with more than 2800 poems to his credit.
 A group of his poems, known as the “New Ballads”.
 He wrote on such topics as eating, gardening, and his
grandchildren.
 More than any other Tang Poet, Po Chu-i developed
Tu Fu’s use of poetry as a kind of autobiography.
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CONT…

28. MEI YAO-CHEN
 Mei Yao Chen (1002-1060) and the next poet,
Ou-yang Hsiu (1007-1072), were both minor
officials in the court during the Sung dynasty,
and both were poets and historians.
 Since they were close friends, they are very
close in poems with each other.
 (See poems on the page 289, Adventures in
World Literature)
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29. PU SUNG LING (1640-1715)
 Chinese writer, was fascinated by stories of the
mysterious and supernatural. The story of The
Cricket Boy, is one of his famous story and
particularly popular in folklore.
 In this story, it is said that Crickets are taught by
Chinese boys and are known for good fortune.
 This is a superstition in Chinese society as well
that crickets are associated with good luck, and
as well in Western superstition that a cricket on
the hearth/fire place brings luck to the house.
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30. WANG WEI (699-761)
 Wang Wei was as a favorite as a youth in the
courts of the Tang princes.
 Wang Wei served in various posts in the imperial
government, both in the capital and in the
provinces.
 Wang Wei was one of the founders of Chinese
landscape painting, and copies of his work
survive.
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31. LI HO (791-817)
 Li Ho descended from a minor and poor branch
of the Tang Dynasty royal house.
 Yet because of his brilliant images and the
intensity of his poetic voice, Western readers
have often found his work more easily accessible
than that of any other Tang Poet.
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32. YUAN CHEN (779-831)
 Author of the Story of , Ying-ying, the most
famous of love stories written by him and is
counted as best Tang love stories.
 He was a well-known poet and close friend of Po
Chu-i.
 He eventually came to a high position in the
Tang government. The story of Ying-ying is his
only tale.
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33. LI CHING CHAO (1084-1151)
 She is well-known for her lyrical poetry.
 There is no better introduction to Li Ching Chao’s
life than her Afterward to her husband’s study of
early inscriptions, the Records on Metal and Stone.
 The Afterward tells first of the pleasant yearly years
of marriage while her husband, Chao Te-fu was a
student in the Imperial Academy and of their shared
passion for books and learning.
 Li Ching Chao is considered one of the finest
writers of traditional song lyric.
 Her lyrics, Note After Note, Southern Song…
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34.  Han Yu (768-824), poet and prose writer,
advocate of “old-style” prose.
 Yuan Chen (779-831), poet and author of The
Story of Ying-ying.
 Li Po (701-762), A poet, who was from
western China, and some have suspected
that his family was of Turkish origin.
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OTHER AUTHORS OF THE CHINESE LIT:

35. JAPANESE LITERATURE:
 It dates back over two thousand years that
Japanese literature is existed, particularly, poetry.
 The two earliest Japanese books, which are Kojiki
(record of ancient matters), and the Nihongi (the
chronicles of Japan), were written in 712 and 720.
 There are many legends and folk tales in these
books. Within that, there are many poems and
songs as well.
 This kind of poetry is called “waka”. It is a kind of
poem with five syllables and seven syllable lines.
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36.  The “waka” have been collected in an anthology
called the Manyoshu, that consists about 4500
“waka” by about 450 different poets, selected
from about 760.
 The most famous poet of the Manyoshu was
Mitomaro, who specialized in writing long
poems.
 The period from 794-1158 may be described as
the classical period of Japanese literature.
 Most of the poems of this time are very short.
 The most common types in Japanese literature is
“tanka” a five line poem, or the “haiku”, a three
line poem which developed from “tanka”.
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CONT…

37. JAPANESE POETRY
 Japanese poetry had derived its attitudes and its style
so directly from the Chinese that it can be considered
as belonging to the same tradition.
 Chinese influence was strong from the beginning of
written Japanese literature.
 The Japanese had no written form of their language
until about the 5th C. when Chinese characters were
adopted for it.
 The earliest collections of Japanese poetry were made
in the 8th C. and these included poems written in the
Chinese language by Japanese poets.
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38.  But most Japanese poets eventually adapted to
their own language the forms and the manner of
Chinese poetry.
 Japanese poetry is more than imitative, but the
differences between it and Chinese poetry reflect
the differences in culture and language.
 Even though Japanese took its written
characters from the Chinese script, the Japanese
language itself is quite different from the
Chinese.
 Japanese is unaccented, and it does not have the
variations in pitch so essential to Chinese.
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CONT…

39.  As with poetry, the rest of Japanese literature is an
outgrowth of Chinese, but it, too, has distinct marks
of its own.
 The first Japanese literature might be the Record of
Ancient Matters, compiled in 712, for the emperor,
who wanted an account of creation and of the ancient
Japanese empire.
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JAPANESE PROSE:

40.  The Tale of Genji, a famous novel about a Japanese
prince and the relaxed life of the court, was written
Lady Murasaki in the 11th C.
 In the 17th and 18th C. a form of drama called kabuki
developed to please the wealthy merchants in Japan’s
cities.
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CONT…

41. JAPANESE WRITERS
• Otomo Yakamochi (716-785)
• Mansei (?-720)
• SoJo Henjo (815-890)
• Princess Shikushi (?-1201)
• Jakuren (?-1202)
• Ki No Suemochi (18th C.)

42. JAPANESE HAIKU
 The Haiku, developed as a distinct form in the 16th C,
reflects certain emphases in the Zen(Mahayana,
Buddhism) philosophy.
 The haiku is still widely used in Japan, and it has had
a significant influence upon American and European
poets of this century.
 The haiku has three lines. Those written in Japanese
have five syllables in the first and third lines and
seven syllables in the second line.
 Matsuo Basho, Sora, Onitsura, Buson, Gyodai and
Issa are know as the best writers of Haiku.

43. MATSUO BASHO
BORN: 1644, UENO, IGA, JAPAN
DIED: 1694, OSAKA, JAPAN
NATIONALITY: JAPANESE
GENRE: POETRY (HAIKU)
MAJOR WORKS:
THE SEASHELL GAME (1672)
THE RECORDS OF A WEATHER-EXPOSED SKELETON
(1685)
THE NARROW ROAD TO THE DEEP NORTH AND
OTHER TRAVEL SKETCHES (1689)
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44. (BASHO)
I AM NOBODY ( )?
A RED SINKING AUTUMN SUN ( )?
TOOK MY NAME AWAY ( )?
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45. A PART FROM CHINESE LITERATURE
 The Butterfly
The philosopher Chuang Tzu dreamed he was
butterfly, and when he woke up he said he did not
know whether he was Chuang Tzu who had
dreamed he was a Butterfly, or a Butterfly now
dreaming that it was Chuang Tzu.
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46.  Assignment
1. Find out Five haikus and one tanka in Japanese
literature for upcoming class.
Due date: Next period
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47. ASSESSMENT
 What are the most famous genres of Japanese
poetry?
 What is an interesting thing for you in Chinese
literature?
 Who is known as the inventor of the Haiku in
Japanese literature?
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48.  Applegate J. (etal) (1970). Adventures in World
Literature. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publisheers; USA
 The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume
B.
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49. ?
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