The Illiad and the Odyssey

• written by Homer• has clear, formal structure• Dactylic hexameter, unrhymed• The longest, traditional poem in Greek poetry and Heroic Epics• In Greek and Latin, translated by 5 famous writers.

The Epic of Gilgamesh(1800-1600 BCE)

• A mythical story about the historical Sumerian King of Uruk.

• Key characters:1.Enkidu,2.Humbaba,3.protagonist

• Author unknown but one of the most powerful meditations on the problem of death in world literature

Buddha-Karita(1st C. CE)

• Written by Buddhist pilgrim and philosopher, Asvaghosha

• Preserved in 17 sections or cantos and is the central events of Buddha’s life-miraculous birth, youth of privilege and protection, the

• “4 passing sights”1. the great renunciation,2. his search for understanding,3. enlightenment, and4. nirvana

Metamorphoses(43-17 BCE)

• written by Ovid, the great Roman poet• work was a response to the epics of Homer and Virgil• Mythological verse narratives written in dactylic hexameter• about Roman history, myths, and legends

Nguyen Huy Thiep(1950)

• wrote:1.Salt of the Jungle,2.The General Retires

and3.other stories

• one of the most accomplished Vietnamese writers who was influenced by Chekhov and Dostoevsky

• work deals with “magic realism”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez(1980’s)

• Columbian-born author and journalist

• Winner of Nobel Prize for Lit

• A pioneer of the Latin American “boom”

wrote:1.Artificial Roses

Shedding Light on Ghosts(489-406 BCE)

• Written by famous philosopher and confuian, Mozi (or Motzu)• Responds, disagrees, and argues with ideas circulating among the followers and critics of Confucius• 1st Chinese philosopher to write in essay form

Mahabharata(5th c. BCE- 4th c. BCE)

• One of India’s great epic poems, which includes the complete text of the Bhagavad-Gita. Written by “Vyasa”.

• Provided a literacy basis for future writers

• Part of the Hindu religion• Characters:

1. Rama2. Sita3. Arjuna4. Krsna

Salmon Rushdie(1900’s)

• Wrote:1.midnight’s children2.Satanic Verses 3.Haroun and the Sea of

Stories• Condemned to death by

Ivan’s Ayatollah Khomeini for book Satanic verses

The Hungry Stone(1861-1941)

• Written by Tagore, the best known and most admired writer of modern India• A short story, is an evocation of the glory of the muslim Moghul dynasty that dominated Northern India in 17th c.• Won Nobel Prize in 1913 and was close to Gandhi

Ding Ling(1904-1985)

• Most famous Chinese woman writer of 20th c.• Influenced western writers by traditional Chinese fiction• Wrote:“When I was in Xia Village”

The Tale of Genji(973-1025)

• Written by Japanese female writer, Murasake Shikibu• Considered to be one of the world’s finest and earliest novels• A final poem of farewell in prose

The Analects(551-479 BCE)

• Written by Confucius, the most influential Chinese philosopher ever lived• Title is another word for “sayings”• A book of wisdom and inspiration that was memorized by Chinese people

The Aeneid(70-19 BCE)

• The greatest work of Latin Lit.• One of the most profound classical literary influences on European Middle Ages and the Renaissance• A deeply nuanced apology for the goals and aspirations of the Roman Empire founded by Caesar• Written by Virgil

The Qu’ran(651-652)

• Belongs to the genre of Scripture• Received by Muslims as the actual words of God (Allah)• Recited as liturgy and memorized as a basis for all knowledge.• A literary influence on all Arabic lit