LITERATURE

The word literature is derived from the Latin word "Littera" which means letters ( in relation to written words).Literature is the historical development of writings in poetry,prose, e.t.c which is meant to provide enlightenment, instructions, and entertainment.

Literature in the west originated from the southern mesopotamia region of Suner in the city of Unck and it was elaborated in Egypt and later in Greece until Rome. Initially writing seems to have originated from China, the first author of literature known by name was the high priestess of Ur named Enheduana ( 2285-2250)BCE, She wrote hymns in praises of a goddess named Inama. Most if the early literature of the early times speaks mostly about the activities of the gods but as time ages humans came to be featured as the main characters in the poems. Literature today is divided into two categories viz: FICTION and NON- FICTION but these were random decisions because the ancient Literature as understood by those who wrote it and the listeners does not understand them as the same way as it is in this modern days
However, literature did not develop with an even pace across the world in the beginning reasons been that many texts ( which are supposed to be useful for compilations) has been lost either by accident,deliberately or by disappearance of the originating cultures of then.
So we are going to take a look at how literature developed in some countries and tribes.
CHINA
China literature: ” The classic of poetry” or “SHIJING” is the oldest existing collection of Chinese’s poetry ( literature) comprising of 305 works by anonymous authors dating from 11th to 7th centuries BC. After “SHIJING” the “CHU CI” anthology (Songs of Chu) is the first volume of poems to be inspired by a China man whose name was QU YUAN. Qu Yuan was the first author to have his name associated with his work and he us also regarded as one of the most prominent figures in Romanticism in Chinese classical literature. Some other great and notable men also author some works part of which was “THE ART OF WAR” by SUN TZU the book which remains on the shelves of many modern military officers till today. Apart from poetry some Chinese men also ventured into some other part of literature example of them is the “ZHUANGZI” which us composed of a large collection of creative anecdotes,parables,fables and allegories, it was a masterpiece of both philosophical and literary skill and UT has significantly influence writers and poets for more than 2000 years from the Han’s dynasty to the present. Among the earliest Chinese prose is the “ZUO ZHUAN” which was a gem of classical Chinese prose thus work and some few others were regarded as the ultimate models by many generations of prose stylist in ancient China.

Japan literature generally refers to literature produced during the Heian period, this period some consider to the golden era of Art and Literature. The tales of Genji” by Murasaki Shikbin is considered the preeminent masterpiece of Heian fiction in the form if a novel some even recognised it as the world’s first novel or the first classical novel.
The 10th century Japanese narrative, “The Tale If The Bamboo Cutter” can be considered an early example of proto-science fiction, the protagonist of the story “”Kaguya-hime” is a princess from the moon who was sent to Earth for safety during a Celestial war and was found and raised by a Bamboo Cutter in Japan, she was later taken back to the moon by her real extraterrestrial family.”
In thus time in the Japanese history the imperial court patronized the poets most of which are courtiers, editing anthology of poetry was a national pastime. Reflecting aristocratic atmosphere l, the poetry was elegant and sophisticated and expressed emotions in a rhetorical style.

The form if writing a new common place across the world in 1492 makes the NIVEL originated from the early modern period and it grew in popularity in the next century. Before the modern novel became established as a form, these had to be a transitional stage where NOVELTY began to appear in the style of the epic poem
Also plays for entertainment also returned to Europe stages in the early modern period . William Shakespeare was the most notable of the early modern playwrights though numerous other made remarkable contributions, viz; Ben Jinson , Jean Racine, Lope de Vega, Moli é re, Christopher Marlowe and others
Meanwhile by 1590 the epic ELIZABETHAN Poem “The Fairie Queen” by Edmund Spenser was published. “The Fairie Queen” marks the transition period in which NOVELTY begins to enter into narrative in the sense of overturning and playing with the tone of events
In the 17th century the English poetry was transformed with a metaphysical movements inaugurated by John Doone , George Herbert and Andrew Marvell and others. Metaphysical poetry is characterized by abspirit I intellectual investigation of the spiritual rather than the mystical reverence if many earlier English poems&poets. The metaphysical poets were trying to understand the world they live in and the spirit behind it, instead of accepting dogma on the basis of FAITH.
MODERN PERIOD-18th Century
This is the age of civilisation including enlightenment and the mist important authors were Adams Smith, Jean Jacques, Rousseau Immanuel Kant and Volataire 19th Century

In Germany the “Stum and Drang” period if the 18tg century merges into a classic and romantic period epitomized by the long era of “GOETHE” activity.
In Denmark the early 19tg century the “GOLDEN AGE” produced prolific authors such as Soren Kierkegaard and Hams Christian Andersen
In Britain the 19th century was dominated by the “Victorian era” characterized by romanticism with romantic poets such as; William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor with genera such as GOETHIC NOVEL.
In the later 19th century romanticism was countered by Realism&Naturalism. The late 19tg century known as the “Belle Epoqine” with it “fonde so é de” retrospectively appeared as a “Golden Age” of European Culture cut shirt BT the World War 1 in 1914. 20th Century

The main period of the 20th century literature are captured by the bipartite division, modernist literature and post-mordern literatur,flowing from roughly 1900-1940 and 1945-1980 respectively divides by World War 2
Popular literature develops it own genre through fantasy and science fiction. Ignored by literary criticism these genres develops their own establishment and awards such as Nebula awards and so on…

©Sam Petros Pen