Introduction
Literature uses words to create works of art. It is usually written, but some works are passed on by word of mouth. They offer insights into people’s innermost thoughts and feelings. Because of this, we can learn a lot about a culture through the literature that they produce.
Task
Your task is to explore the world of literature by using technology to search for answers to the following questions about literature and culture.
Process
Use your device or a laptop to research the answers to these questions about different kinds of literature and their cultures.
The following websites will help you answer these questions:
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-form-haiku
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-form-epic
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490529/Ramayana
http://genresofliterature.blogspot.com/
Literature uses words to create works of art. It is usually written, but some works are passed on by word of mouth. They offer
insights into people’s innermost thoughts and feelings.
1. What are 3 forms of literature?
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The earliest written works were epic poems which are long stories or myths about the adventures of heroes.
2. What are 2 examples of Greek epic poems?
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3. What are 2 examples of Indian epic poems?
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Literature differs from country to country because of the language it is written in. Some forms of literature come from one
country. However, the themes of love, revenge, and death are found everywhere.
4. What is one type of poetry that comes from Japan?
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Authors write to inform, explore, amuse, inspire, and to tell a good story. They also write NONFICTION to record events and
lives.
5. What is an example of a NONFICTION piece of literature?
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Novels are stories in prose (not verse) that explore people and society using imaginary characters. They are structured around
plots and are usually more than 50,000 words in length. Novels are organized into categories of fiction called genres. One of the
earliest novels was Don Quixote (1605) by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.
6. What is another example of a modern novel?
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All cultures have myths—stories that reflect religious and social beliefs. These stories feature gods and superhumans and
explore the great questions of life—such as “Where do we come from?”, “Why are we here?”, and “Why does evil exist?”
7. What is an example of a modern myth?
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The oral (spoken) tradition is literature that has not been written down but has been passed on from one storyteller to another
over many years. Myths began in this way. The oral tradition continues today with storytelling, folk tales, and children’s stories.
8. What is an example of a piece of literature that has been passed down through oral tradition?
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How can literature show us what a person's culture is like?
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