LLEA 30412 - Masterpieces of Classical Japanese Literature

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

East Asian Lang & Lit

Description:

This course was designed as a survey of Japanese poetry, fiction, and drama from the earliest times through the mid-18th century. All texts are in English; no special knowledge of Japan or Japanese is required. The course is divided into three parts. In Part I we will begin with the development of court poetry (waka) as found in the Man-yoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), the Kokinshu (the first Imperial Anthology), and the Tales of Ise. The centerpiece of this unit, however, is Murasaki Shikibu's epic of courtly love, The Tale of Genji (ca. 1000 A.D.); we will read an abridged version of the first 17 chapters. In addition to social and historical factors influencing the development of a courtly aesthetic, we will also consider the influential role played by Buddhism and Chinese literature. In Part II, we will look at how Japanese literature developed during the medieval period (13-16th centuries) of the samurai warrior-aristocracy with readings of plays from the No theater, linked verse (renga) and philosophical essays such as An Account of My Hut and Essays in Idleness. Of special interest here is the influence of Zen Buddhism on a wide range of aesthetic practices, including the tea ceremony, landscaping and painting. In Part III, we will study the "popular" literature of the 17th and 18th centuries, the products of a new merchant-class culture that flourished in Edo (now Tokyo), Kyoto and Osaka. The main topics will be haiku poetry by Matsuo Basho.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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