World literature history - Essay Example

Full World Literature Literature has been an ancient means of communication of human belief systems though much of which have been passed through word of mouth. However, this does not mean that our forefathers were void of writing systems. In fact, discoveries have proven the literary means available in the ancient world, particularly Egypt where much of their writings have been preserved. These written works are reminiscent of the culture and beliefs of ancient people like those which were found in Egyptian tombs.

The afterlife was an important consideration to the ancient Egyptians as viewed from what were discovered in pyramid texts in papyri where Osiris, the god of afterlife is contained in the important discoveries (Faulkner, Andrew & Wassermann 140). Believing in a god and an afterlife reflect the religious beliefs of the Egyptians whose privileged people would be those who belong to the royal family. It is believed that the god favors the kings as he is a king himself being the god of the afterlife, guiding them to their path in being with the divine in accordance to what they did when they were living.

Osiris also is the ultimate judge who will stand before the people in their afterlife (Faulkner, Andrew & Wassermann 141). The form of Egyptian writings is known as hieroglyphics wherein instead of letters, pictures were written to convey the scribes’ thoughts or those of who dictate to the writers. Pictures of animals, humans and things are abundant in hieroglyphics that portray the culture of the Egyptians as well. These pictures are arranged in a way that a story could be deciphered or made to be understood as letters are combined to form words and words to sentences.

The rich literary expressions of ancient Egypt reflect rich cultures which to the modern world is of great help to understanding to the various beliefs each hold. Reaction to Poems Love is the universal language so they say so that whatever language one speaks, when it comes to love, there are no boundaries to understanding its message. One of its effects would be the wide discussion of the subject matter in all the languages and the expression of it whether in physical performances or literary symbolisms.

Much have been said and written about love, some lost in the passing of time, some preserved thankfully through the written form. Exaggerated expressions of such deep emotions are reflected in poems like If I Am not With You, Where Will You Set Your Heart?, My Love for You is Mixed Throughout My Body and I embrace Her. Literary expressions as well abound in literatue like metaphors which to the hope of the author would be able to portray the depth of feelings. In addition, though usually exaggerated, literary works always picture the realities of life, in the chosen poems, love.

‘If good fortune comes your way, you still can not find happiness’ is a line from the first aforementioned poems which depict the weight and unsurpassable characteristics of love especially when it comes to happiness. Probably, this could be true as one Christmas song says, ‘Even the man who has everything, would be so happy if you bring. Give love on Christmas day.’ ‘My love for you is mixed throughout my body’ represents the use of figurative language which are not to be taken literally though affects the reader’s mind to imagine what the author can not fully express in normal form.

‘And I drunk without a beer’ from I Embrace Her, portrays a similar effect, holding the reader to wonder how one drink without something to drink. All these exaggerations would help the reader understand the feelings the author wanted show. Reference Faulkner, Raymond, Carol Andrew and James Wassermann. Books.google.com. Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day. 1996. Web. February 3, 2011.