Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia and
comprises one of the major literatures in the world, comparable to
English literature in age and scope. It comprises a number of genres,
including novels, poetry, and drama,
travelogues, personal diaries and collections of random thoughts and
impressions. From the early seventh century until the present there has
never been a period when literature was not being produced by Japanese
authors. Japan adopted its writing system from China, often using
Chinese characters to represent Japanese words with similar phonetic
sounds. Early works were heavily influenced by cultural contact with
China and Chinese literature, and was often written in Classical
Chinese. Though the Japanese writing system was adapted from Chinese,
the two languages are unrelated. The rich emotional vocabulary of the
Japanese language gave rise to a refined sensitivity of expression,
while Chinese was often used to write about more intellectual and
abstract concepts such as morality and justice.
The nature of the spoken Japanese language, in which all words end with
a simple vowel and stress accents do not exist, shaped the development
of poetic forms which were relatively short in length and defined by the
numbers of syllables in each line; and which sought above all for
precise expression and rich literary allusion. Official court patronage
of poetry produced strict artistic codes which dictated the vocabulary
and form which could be used for poetic expression. Prose emphasized the
smooth transition from one statement to another, rather than
organization according to a formal theme.
During the Edo period,
the rise of an urban middle class, increased literacy and the
importation of Chinese vernacular literature stimulated the development
of a number of new genres, such as kabuki theater, comedy, historical romances known as “yomihon,”
horror, crime stories, and morality stories. When Japan reopened its
ports to Western trading and diplomacy in the nineteenth century,
exposure to Western literature influenced Japanese authors to develop
more subjective, analytical styles of writing. Today Japanese literature
of all periods is enjoyed by modern readers all over the world, who can
relate to the sentiments and expressions of emotion which transcend
cultural differences and historical distance.
- http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Japanese_literature
0 (mga) komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento