Mariam Webster Dictionary, defines literature as a written works (such as poems, plays, and novels) that are considered to be very good and to have lasting importance” from this definition, I can define literature as a written expression of an idea with a specific goal such as transmit knowledge, provide information, convince, etc. There are different example of literature. Some of them is the “Rules for writers”, wrote by Diana H and Nancy S. The specific goal of this book is to transmit knowledge about the principle of English writing. The other example of literature is “the Epic of Gilgamesh”, translated by N.K. Sandras. This is a historical literature which informs about kingdom in Babylon. Finally, the example of the article “Guns on University
“The Return” Reading Questions In order to get the pity from the gods, Utnapishtim challenges Gilgamesh to stay awake for six days and seven nights. Gilgamesh is tempted by sleep constantly, so the Faraway devises a plan to make a visual representation of Gilgamesh’s progress. Everyday of the test, Utnapishtim’s wife bakes a loaf of bread and puts a mark beside Gilgamesh’s head to measure the time. At the end, Gilgamesh is awoken and from looking at the bread, he realizes that he has been asleep.
The epic poem “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is about a ruler of a city-state who goes on a journey to find everlasting life after his close friend dies. First, you should know that the ruler's name is Gilgamesh, and that he was a tyrant and the gods wanted to kill him, but he ended up friends with the man sent to kill him. (Sandars). In my opinion, heroes should be courageous and strong. They should be able to fight off foes and be able to learn from their mistakes.
The epic poem “Epic of Gilgamesh” is about a hero’s journey. First, one should know that Gilgamesh was once a selfish king that ruled over Uruk. When his best friend Enkidu dies, he realizes that he is mortal, so he goes on a journey to look for immortality (Sandars). In my opinion, heroes should always show loyalty and show respect to all classes of people. If the hero doesn’t show respect in the beginning, he will grow and will later on show much more respect.
Literature is writing that speaks emotionally about the struggle of humanity. Literature isn’t just printed material, but “…only certain kinds of printed material specifically, the kinds that possess some kind of artistic merit” (Johnston, “What is Literature”). This is great because this doesn’t pertain to traditional books only; music can be included if it follows the guidelines of having highly charged language speaking of the human condition. To come to the conclusion of what literature is one must understand by simple reasoning anything scribbled on a piece of paper isn’t literature. A grocery list isn’t literature, but The Grapes of Wrath is because the author speaks of human conditions and ideals in very emotional language.
Literature is an art form that allows readers to express their ideas and grasp numerous concepts. It allows readers to experience historical moments from the past in the present. Connie Willis does a fantastic job of expressing her thoughts about literature and how her experiences contributed to her view of literature. Connie Willis says that literature is a way for authors of the past to communicate with readers of today in the quote from the Passage, "That's what literature is. It's the people who went before us, tapping out messages from the past, from beyond the grave, trying to tell us about life and death!
Many poets write poems to express themselves or convey a message. This is because writing things down has been a way of tracking or relaying information to others or oneself at a later time. The themes of these poems change not only with whom the poet is but, what they are writing about. Undoubtedly poetry such as Epics, Romances, and Ballads are used to express themes due to each type having a plethora of ways to convey the author’s message. Epic is narratively long poems that tell about a heroic feat or event that are important to the poet’s culture(Fogie).
One strong example of this is Bravery. Johnson had to be brave to go to the mountains and live there. He was brave enough to stand up tall when he was face to face with the Indians at the beginning when him and Bear Claw first met. Bear Claw was one of the many people that Johnson met while in the mountains. When he had to go get the horse back from the indians for Del Gue he couldn’t go there if he was a coward so that means that he had to be brave.
Cole and Ortega’s The Thinking Past is a book that covers the history of humans and civilization. Within the book the authors cover the transition of humans from a hunter-gatherer life into a more sedentary life: forming the civilizations we know today. This transition can be witnessed through the character of Enkidu’s in The Epic of Gilgamesh. Enkidu—a glorified forager—is forced into civilization, we watch him transform from a wild beast into a civilized person.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a poem written in 2000 B.C. whereas the Ark of Noah was written around 400 B.C. Both stories discuss about the historical great flood which whipped a human races from the earth. The stories were written in to two difference places and era; though they have a lot in common and quiet few differences. Consequently, according to the book of the Epic OF Gilgamesh and The Ark of Noah, the similarities between those two stories is more momentous than their differences. The major similarities in both stories is the cause of the flood.
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Relevant Truth for Today’s Society The Epic of Gilgamesh is set in Uruk, an ancient city of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer, now modern-day Iraq. The epic was said to be written by Sin-liqe-unninni, but it is based on five earlier Sumerian poems with no known author. The piece was difficult to translate, and there are two main version for the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the result of the environment during the time the piece was being written.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest story known to mankind, being written on Sumerian clay almost five thousand years ago (Garone). Since the story was originally known orally, the culture and themes from The Epic of Gilgamesh must have existed long before it was finally inscribed (Mark 4). Having known this, the cultures and themes can be compared to today’s society, discovering about how they have shifted and evolved, and also observe how they are similar. The ancient days of Gilgamesh has brought culture that has greatly influenced today’s society. Because Gilgamesh was set around the time of late Babylonian or early Sumerian society, the Babylonian and Sumerian cultures also play a role in shaping the world into what is is today (Mark).
The Epic of Gilgamesh, is the story of the hero Gilgamesh. He is on the quest for eternal life following the death of his best friend Enkidu. Towards the end of his journey he encounters an extremely wise woman named Siduri, a winemaker and celestial barkeep. Siduri is unsure and slightly scared of him at first due to his disheveled appearance from his long and intense journey, upon seeing him she quickly locks herself in her house. Gilgamesh is unhappy with this and threatens to hit her gate, breaking the bolt.
Exegesis is the in-depth explanation and interpretation of scripture that helps us understand all of the references, literary devices, the time period, and how the people of the bible felt and interacted with the world around them. Exegesis is a process of trying to understand the scripture from, not a modern point of view, but the point of view that we assume the ancients received it in. There are four kinds of exegesis called criticisms. They are Textual Criticism, Historical Criticism, Literary Criticism, and Source Criticism. In Textual Criticism, the very original texts or most accurate interpretations are looked at to understand the true forms of the scripture passage without the translators own words added in.
The Immortal Flood Hero Utanapishtim Most societies have heard about the great flood. Due to this tale being so popularly known, there are multiple versions to the knowledge of the current mankind. Though there are multiple versions that are quite common to know, the Hebrew’s version can be recognized as the most known version of the great flood. The Epic of Gilgamesh can be acknowledged as the oldest version of the great flood, dating back to the city of Babylonia. Utanapishtim tells the secrets of the great Gods to Gilgamesh.
Abrams (2009) states that literature has become the expression of human's thought and emotion. The word literature derived from the Latin 'Litteraturae' which means 'writing'. According to Luken (2003) literature is described as the part of writing works which exist because imaginative artistic qualities. Novel is one of literary work that tells the story of its character’s life. Sometimes, topic that is told in the novel comes from the experience or imagination of its author.