School Academy of St.

Joseph Quarter Third

Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs):

MODULE 9
LESSON 15
LITERARY GENRES OF EAST ASIA

East Asian literature is known for its deep-rooted love for nature and concern for societal issues and norms. The
themes generally show how East Asian writers perceive the world as influenced by their religion, history, and culture. The
genres of East Asia include the literature of the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, and Taiwanese. For this lesson, we will
focus on Chinese and Japanese Literature.

CHINESE LITERATURE

Chinese literature has very ancient beginnings. It was first recorder about 5,000 years ago and has since documented
the dreams and visions of a race who number about one-fifth of the world’s population.

The origins of the Chinese language are lost, but there is no doubt that it is the most ancient spoken – and probably the
oldest written – language still used by humans. It has undergone few changes because China in ancient times refused all
contact with the Western world.

The Chinese language has certain marked characteristics. It is monosyllabic, that is, each word has only one syllable,
like the word yes in English. Chinese does not have any polysyllabic words like legislature (leg-is-la-ture), which has four
syllables. Such a characteristic of the Chinese language may give you the idea that the number of words in the language is very
limited; but because Chinese is a tonal language, the same word changes in meaning when it is said with an upward or a
downward intonation, or with a high or low pitch.

There is a great difference between the Chinese language as spoken and as written. The spoken vocabulary has
considerably fewer words than the written vocabulary. In general, Chinese writing does not represent the sounds of words.
When we write in English, we use letters to represent the sounds that make up the word. Take the word banana. By themselves
the individual letters or syllables are mere sounds: ba na na. There is no meaning to ba or na, but put together, they form the
word that means a kind of fruit.

Chinese writing however is different. It has no alphabet; it consists of about 50,000 characters. Each character does
not represent the spoken word; instead it represents an idea. Chinese writing is, therefore, made up of ideographs. The words
were originally drawn as crude pictures of the things indicated, but they have undergone many changes from writing in idea-
pictures to more symbolic forms.

The child learning to write Chinese has to learn to write (draw) 214 signs instead of the 26 letters in English. From
these basic 214 signs, one can form other combinations. Chinese, unlike English, is written from right to left, in columns from
top to bottom.

Early Chinese literature dates back to 1000 B.C. It recognizes five books, called the Five Classics, which form the
foundation of their cultural, political, and traditional life. These books are The Book of Changes, The Book of History, The
Book of Rites, The Book of Odes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals.
In poetry, the four greatest Chinese poets lived during the Tang dynasty (A.D. 678-907). They were, in the order of birth,
Wang Wei, Li-Po, To-Fu, and Po-Chu-I.

Drama and fiction developed as important forms of Chinese literature during the 1200s. Chinese plays resemble
European opera, combining singing and dancing with dialogue.

Modern Chinese literature developed after the 1800s when many European missionaries and traders traveled to China,
and the Chinese were gradually exposed to Western culture. Then in 1949, the Chinese communists came to power after a long
civil war. They ordered writers to create works that could be easily understood by the peasants, soldiers, and workers.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) all intellectuals were persecuted in China. Political and social themes of
this period dominated the published works, and some writers dared to write works that criticized the government.
In 1989, Chinese university students and other citizens demanded greater democracy and led demonstrations in
Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The Chinese government arrested leading writers who supported the pro-democracy movement
and prohibited writers from publishing works that criticize the government. Chinese writers who live in Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Singapore, or the United States had more artistic freedom.

The major literary and intellectual fashions of today's China have grown out of the “Cultural Fever” of the 1980s. The
1990s, however, have witnessed an even greater variety of styles, themes, and genres, as well as a somewhat greater interest in

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China's post, and a spate of nationalistically inspired works. The writings of the '90s also seem to reflect less of a self-
conscious debt to foreign authors -- perhaps in reaction to the massive importation of Western literary and cultural theories in
the previous decade.

Read the story titled “THE SOUL OF THE GREAT BELL” Lafcadio Hearn

*Refer to your English book, ecas ( English Communication Arts and Skills through Afro-Asian Literature) pages 78-82

JAPANESE LITERATURE

Japanese literature is one of the major bodies of Oriental literature. It is less voluminous than Chinese literature, but is
comparable to Arabic, Persian, and Indian literatures. It covers the period from the fifth century A.D. to the present.

Poems and odes to the gods were composed in the early Japanese language before the art of writing was known in
Japan. Only fragments of this literature have survived, but these are thought to have been extensive. During the first centuries
of writing in Japan, the spoken language and written language were identical. But with the study of Chinese literature, literary
work began to be composed almost exclusively in Chinese. There soon grew differences between colloquial Japanese and the
literary idioms. The addition of Chinese words into the Japanese language increased rapidly. In Japanese writing at present,
Chinese characters occupy the most important places. But for the most part, the desires, feelings, and concerns of everyday life
and all that lie deeper in the human heart are expressed in native words.

The written language, therefore, consists mainly of characters borrowed from the Chinese, each character representing
an idea. To read and write, the student must learn several thousand separate characters. But Japan has developed a basic
alphabet of only forty-seven characters—the Katakana.

Learning in Japan was confined to the court circles before 1200. From 1400 to 1500 the military came into power, and
education was denied to everyone except the priests. In 1600 the modern period of general culture began. The people
responded enthusiastically to the policy of general education. Reading became a very popular pastime. It was a common sight
in Japan to see circulating libraries carried from house to house on the backs of men.

It is a remarkable fact, without parallel in the history of literature, that a large proportion of the literary works in Japan
was written by women. This genius is said to have made Japanese a literary language. The cultivation of the native tongue was
left to the ladies of the court and these ladies performed this task nobly.

The earliest Japanese literary work is the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). It relates the creation of the world,
describes the gods and goddesses of the mythological period, and contains facts about the earliest history of Japan. The next
important creative work was the Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan). It tells of the early history of Japan in poetry and shows the
profound influence of the Chinese. These two books are the oldest in the language.

The Japanese are intensely proud of their history and take great care in keeping and preserving records. Every town
and village has its historical records. Even family records are carefully copied from one generation to the next. In cities there
are professional storytellers who earn their livelihood by narrating legendary and historical tales. Memorial stones are among
the striking sights along the highways in every town and village and temple yard. These memorials honor some noted scholar,
ruler, or hero.

The drama is a favorite form of entertainment. Popular plays are generally about history and tradition or the lives and
adventures of gods and heroes. The setting is always in Japan. The plays are very long. The performance begins in the morning
and can last all day. The spectators bring their food with them.
Three types of drama have been developed in Japan: the Noh play, the Joruri or puppet play, and the Kabuki play.
The Noh play is the national theater of Japan. Tourists from all over the world go to Japan to witness a Noh play. In
the past it was a play reserved for the nobility, and the audience dressed themselves in ceremonial robes. Legend says that the
Noh has its origin in dance and that this dance was invented by the gods.
The story runs thus: The all-important Sun goddess hid herself in the rock cave of heaven, causing universal darkness.
So the other gods invented a dance that one of them performed on top of an inverted tub, and the Sun goddess came out to see
what was causing the noise. The sound produced by the dancer stamping on the wooden floor is still an important part of the
play.

The puppet play (or doll theater) is very popular. The puppets are beautifully made and lifelike in size. The strings are
expertly manipulated and the dialogue realistically interpreted.

The third type of play is the Kabuki, the play for the masses. It is less intellectual and more realistic, even sensational.

Poetry is a favorite among the Japanese. The oldest collection of poetry-Man'yõshū (Collection of Myriad Leaves) --
was compiled in 800 A.D. The collection titled One Hundred Persons was compiled much later.
The writing of poetry was a required ability among the aristocratic classes. Skill in the art led to promotion in court.
Poetic ability was also necessary for courtship; a suitor's letter to his loved one had to be exquisitely written in poetry. This was
carefully folded and tied with a spray of flowers before it was sent.

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 Japanese poems have a certain suggestive quality, with the poet seemingly addressing the reader, "Your heart must
complete the poem." Poems are written on various subjects—the falling of the blossoms, the reddening of the leaves in autumn,
the glory of the imperial family, the death of a wife or child, or the pleasures of drink.
The shortest form of Japanese poetry-- but the most popular-- is the haiku, a seventeen-syllable poem in three lines of
five, seven, and five syllables. Poetry is so intimately bound up with Japanese life that the Japanese set aside one day each year
as Haiku Day.
With the advent of the twentieth century, Western ideas and customs greatly influenced the Japanese. European
influences in literature are manifested in translation and imitation, especially in fiction.

Read the story titled “THE STORY OF THE AGED MOTHER” Matsuo Basho

*Refer to your English book, ecas ( English Communication Arts and Skills through Afro-Asian Literature) pages 124-127

REFERENCES:
 English Communication Arts and Skill through Afro-Asian Literature, pg. 46-48, 78-82, 93-96 and 124-137
 DEPED Quarter 2: Module 6 – Literature, First Edition 2020

English 8
ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
(Quarter 3: Week 1-2)

Name: Section: Score:

TASK 1: Answer the following questions. Write your answer on the space provided.

1. What are the five classic books of the Chinese? Compare/contrast the early and modern Chinese literary periods.

2. Was censorship– the act of banning works that criticized the government—helpful in making Chinese literature more
productive? How can you relate this situation to the Philippines’ Martial Law era?

3. What was the importance of women in early Japanese literature?

4. What are the two oldest works in the Japanese language? In comparison, what are two of the oldest works of the
Filipinos? Compare the works.

5. What were the most common topics for Japanese poems? How does this reflect the priorities of the Japanese?

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TASK 2: Answer the questions below to show your understanding of the story:

THE SOUL OF THE GREAT BELL

1. What did the Son of Heaven want the bell to become? Do you think the bell would be valuable? Why? Why not?

2. What threat did the Son of Heaven make if the metal workers failed to deliver the required bell for a third time? How
would you feel if you were Kouan-Yu?

3. What was the astrologer’s advice, and how did Ko-Ngai take it? How would you have felt if you were Ko-Ngai?
Why?

4. How did the people interpret the sounds from the bell? According to lore, what was Ko-Ngai longing for?

5. It is accepted that parents often sacrifice for their children. But you, as a child what will you be willing to sacrifice for
your parents? How will you show them that you love them?

THE STORY OF AGED MOTHER

1. If you were the poor farmer, would you obey the proclamation? Why? Why not?

2. How did culture and environment affect the decision of many of the youth in that time? Were people obedient to the
government or not?

3. What did the old mother be able to find his way back down from the mountain? What were the twigs for? How does
this show a mother’s love and care for her son?

4. What was revealed by the mother as her son said good-bye? How did the young man react? What did he decide to do?

5. Is it true that when one ages, he/she becomes useless and irrelevant? What can the youth learn from the elders?

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