Afro-Asian Literature

What is Literature?

As man started to walk the earth, he developed a system of recording down things around

him and interpreting them according to his own perception.

This act of documenting may have been the start of the medium.

Not all written material may be considered literature. Only those that

closely emulate the human experience, emotion and thought are regarded as

literature.

Afro-Asian Literature

Afro-Asian Literature

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China

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Indonesia

Malaysia

Africa Thailand Philippines

Afro-Asian Literature

Afro-Asian Literature is a term for writing; written by people from mixed African-Arab ethnicity, or African-Asian ethnicity.

• Why do we always • need to consider • the culture of the people • when we study• literature?

In modern times, part of

world literature, Afro-Asian

literature is a separate

segment of writing of

experiences in African and

Asia for further cultural

understanding and world

peace. 

• Afro-Asian Literature mirrors not only the customs and traditions of African and Asian countries but also their

philosophy of life which on the whole are deeply and predominantly contemplative and hauntingly sweet.

• Afro-Asian Literature is the reflection of the storm and the stress of developing nations seeking a place under the sun which every student must understand so he may know how this literature affects the history and culture of a nation.

The background of Afro-Asian literature dates to the very beginnings of when the first mixed race individual began writing.

An exact date is harder to come by given the wide topic this question asks to be answered. Like most literature you can be assured that earlier written documents were based on stories passed by word of mouth.

The Beginnings of Asian and African Literature

Literature may have its roots from the pre-historic period.

The hieroglyphs of Egypt, found around 3200 BC to about 400 AD for example, is a system of writing which used symbols, have been used to record some things about what had transpired in history. However, these are not considered literature.

Considered to be the earliest records of literature

Egyptian Book of the Dead written down in a papyrus in 250 BC

Many of the literary works are handed down by oral tradition. In Africa, the lack of literacy did not make it possible to write literature down.

Histories, myths, legends, including stories, dramas, riddles, songs, proverbs and other literary works were handed by mouth from generation to generation to entertain, educate and remind the people about their past, heroic deeds of their people, ancestry and culture.

Importance Of Afro-Asian Literature? The importance comes from the fact that Afro-Asian

literature is a sign of new and modern times.

These times include literature from all kinds of people, from all places on Earth. These days, we are able to enjoy literature from all over the world thanks to the Internet and translation services.

• the other importance is that this writing is able to teach people and allow them to learn about different experiences and cultures from all over the world.

• Instead of just watching documentaries and reading articles, people are now easily able to read first-hand accounts about the things that happen in these countries, and what interesting historical accounts have been made in the past.

History Of Afro-Asian Literature

GENRES

playwritingpoems prose

-Traditional ballads or poems outlining Afro-Asian history are part of the culture's oral history

- These poems or songs were passed down from generation to generation

- Told of the unique struggles and successes of Afro-Asian people.

In most cultures, oral histories marked the beginning of teaching history. Later,

when more people were able to read and write, history became recorded in

prose, plays, and textbooks.

Genres

Poetry/Songs - about the history and culture of the Afro-Asian people were written and performed, and then passed down. Today, Afro-Asians still express their creativity, and honour their culture, by crafting beautiful poems, such as haikus, ballads, or sonnets.

Freeform poems with specific structures or meters are also prevalent - these have a free-spirited, stream of consciousness

feeling...

Genres

Plays - Playwrights use dialogue and monologue to reinforce ideas, emotions and themes.

Many playwrights celebrate their own culture and ancestry by setting plays in the past, and referencing historical events in their storylines.

Plays, when performed, will feature backdrops, costumes, and jargon that reflects the culture and unique spirit of Afro-Asian people.

GenresProse has no particular meter - it flows naturally, and it is not poetry. Prose can be found in essays, in novels, and in letters to other people. In many ways, prose is the purest expression of human thought - in literature, prose is used to expose truth, to describe objects, places, and people, and todraw a reader deeper into a story.

references

• www.afroasianliterature.wordpress.com• www.katsandogz.com • www.broadcaster.org.uk