Asian Literature - Essay Example

China and Japan are today's superpowers, the hub of culture, trade, and entertainment. Initially, this nation was nowhere to be found, they had no existence and were considered to be a sleeping nation.

The change came when Confucianism started to spread in China and Japan. Basically, meaning of Confucianism is "The school for Scholars". This philosophy started to propagate in Asia when the teachings and guidance of the prominent Chinese perceptive Confucius started gaining popularity amongst the masses. This philosophy was about ethics, moral values, ways to govern life, and most importantly awakening the nations which were fast asleep. It has been observed that the Chinese were deeply inspired by the teaching and the social change Confucius brought. This change was quite drastic and versatile developing a tangible and compound system dealing with morality, social issues, and political changes further it also brought religious changes till the 21st century. It was so powerful and in influential that people started to consider it a religion or a complete code of life.

The influence of this philosophy was not just limited to China but it spread far and wide influencing many other neighboring countries like Japan, Vietnam, China, Korea, and various other regions that shared a majority of the Chinese population. The role of literature is considered to be very important as poetry and other means involving writing helped to spread awareness amongst the people. They realized the power of a nation and how through unity and hard work they could eventually conquer the world. He taught that all great things are achieved through small endeavors “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” (Confucius, The Analects)

Thus, "In ancient China, people had profuse feelings to express when historical events took place, both joyful or grief. Classical literature possesses a profound culture and is the epitome of the spirit, morals, and wisdom of the Chinese people. It reflects the high level of civilization. The literary forms vary over this long period and each had its blaze of glory." (Chinese Poetry) This proves the importance of poetry in reshaping China.

Japan on the other hand is one of those countries which were quite late in developing its culture as compared to other Asian countries. Japan was merely influenced by China and at some points the West when it came to culture. As mentioned earlier the spread of Confucius's teaching was inspiring the Japanese culture drastically. It has been debated that Japanese culture has been damaged by external forces but on the contrary, it has helped in strengthening the Japanese nation and developing their distinct individuality. (Early Japan)

The role of literature has been drastic in Japan to shape their culture, social and political setup. Initially in order to spread awareness and to unify the Japanese population they compiled their national history so their past remains intact. Then a collection of poems was written so that through poems they could educate their masses and develop a feeling of harmony and association with their land. It was through these poems that their history was persevered and people could link to their nation. The emperors and princes of that time performed their part by inking their experience so that they could educate the masses and bring about a sense of leadership in them.

It is said that the poetry of a nation is the best and the most precise way to evaluate the real life of the people. It not only provides a peek into spirituality associated with the land but also seeks to give a view of the intellect of the nation. It is said that Japanese poetry is the true representation of their culture and the purity of their soil. It represents the real way the Japanese mechanism functions, their spontaneity, and how it plays with their sentiments and emotions.

The Myriad of Leaves is a collection of Japanese poems which has been translated into English. The myriad of Leaves has the honor of being the oldest poetry collection in the Japanese nation. It contains an entire era of history in them that has been written from the tenth to the fifteen century. This was merely known as the "Golden Age of Literature" and when now poetry actually died within the region. People look up to these collections to revive this beautiful art which is an integral component of their culture and a source of propagation of politics, ethics, and societal norms. (Wilson, 185)

The collection of poems by Kokinshu is the second anthology that has been written in the form of a speech. It talks about the Japanese in a manner that helps to give them a sense of awareness and reawakening. (Rodd, 30)

Hence, in a nutshell, China and Japan are one of those nations that had their revival through their poetic literature. Literature specially poetry played an essential role as their scholars and writers were aware of the fact that if they do not spread awareness then no progress is apparently no possible. Thus they chose the power of ink to spread their word and were successful to reawaken and bring this country to a stable position.