66 Questions
What is the epic poem Gilgamesh considered to be?
The first great heroic narrative of world literature
In what form were tablets containing portions of Gilgamesh found?
In cuneiform characters on clay stone
Where was the version of Gilgamesh discovered that is widely circulated throughout the ancient Middle East?
In the city of Nineveh amid the ruins of the great library of Assurbanipal
For how long did the epic poem Gilgamesh develop?
Over a period of nearly a thousand years
Who is considered to be the last king of the Assyrian Empire?
Assurbanipal
Where have tablets containing portions of Gilgamesh been found?
At sites throughout the Middle East
What literary form takes its name from the Arabic word for ‘four’?
Rubai
Which Indian sacred text speculates about the origin and nature of the universe?
The Rig-veda
What is the world’s longest epic?
The Mahabharata
Which collection of folktales aims to teach about political matters and interpersonal relationships in ancient India?
The Panchatantra
Who is the most beloved poet in Indian plays?
Kalidasa
What is the earliest known Chinese literary collection believed to date from around 1000 B.C.?
The Book of Songs
Which Chinese literary genre begins with lyric poetry?
Lyric poetry
'The Rubaiyat' is attributed to which well-known Islamic poet?
Omar Khayyam
'The Loyal Mongoose' is a story from which collection of folktales and animal fables in Indian literature?
'The Panchatantra'
'Sakuntala' by Kalidasa is rooted in the values of which civilization?
'India’s classical civilization'
Which Indian religion claims the Vedas as the source of all truth and the basis of its religious beliefs?
Hinduism
Which literary form consists of 305 songs representing the heritage of the Chou people?
Classic Poetry (Book of Songs)
What is the proportion of Gilgamesh's divine and human attributes?
2/3 divine and 1/3 human
Why were Enkidu created by the Sumerian gods?
To become a rival to Gilgamesh
What event leads Gilgamesh to embark on a quest for everlasting life?
The death of Enkidu
Which ancient culture possessed a rich variety of poetry, including narratives, incantations, and devotional poems?
Ancient Egypt
During which period did the largest and earliest group of ancient Egyptian poems come from?
Old Kingdom
What type of poetry emerged in the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt?
Pastoral poetry
What is the most important example of Hebrew literature?
The Old Testament
"The Acts of the Apostles" is an account of whose missionary journeys?
"Paul's
"The Thousand and One Nights" collection puts together tales into one long narrative. What is one of the simplest and oldest tales in this collection?
"The Fisherman and the Jinnee"
"The Shah-nama" is considered a national treasure in which country?
"Iran"
What are the most important themes that unify the Bible?
Power, goodness, mercy, covenant
Who wrote the famous English version of the Bible called King James Version?
King James I
What is the primary characteristic of the Nō theatre as described in the passage?
The absence of stagecraft and minimal props
What form of drama involves the use of puppets in its performance?
Joruri (Bunraku)
Which literary works are attributed to the poet Homer?
The Iliad and The Odyssey
What is the primary subject of The Iliad?
The events in the Trojan War
In which century did Greek drama reach its peak in Athens?
5th century B.C.
Which playwright wrote the trilogy of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone?
Sophocles
'Tragedies dealt with universal issues and indirectly with contemporary politics, but the plots were taken from the same cycle of legends found in the Homeric epics.' This statement refers to:
Greek tragedies
'The Romans as well as the Greeks venerated the Homeric epics, the most ancient texts of Greek literature.' This statement refers to:
'The Aeneid' by Virgil
'The knowledge Oedipus relentlessly seeks causes his downfall.' This statement refers to:
'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles
'The gods interfere to some extent, but they never direct the plot or the characters’ actions.' This statement refers to:
'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles
'Themes such as war, incest, and murder were treated seriously.' This statement refers to:
'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles
'Greek drama reached its peak in the 5th century Athens.' This statement is supported by which information in the passage?
'Greek drama reached its peak in the 5th century Athens.'
What literary form is The Song of Roland an example of?
Epic poetry
Who is the central figure in The Divine Comedy by Dante?
Dante
Which poet was well-versed in Italian and Latin, and wrote lyric poems dedicated to Laura?
Petrarch
In which work would you find the line: 'To be, or not to be: that is the question'?
Hamlet
What is a key element used by Petrarch in his poems?
Allegory
In which literary genre does The Decameron by Boccaccio belong?
Novella
Which writer is known for the sonnet 'When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes'?
Shakespeare
What is the main theme of The Nibelungenlied?
Love and revenge
Who wrote the collection of stories known as The Canterbury Tales?
Chaucer
Which poet wrote about the adventure of a man struggling to reconcile himself to a bitter political exile through the triumph of love?
Dante
What literary genre does The Divine Comedy by Dante belong to?
Epic poetry
Who is the central figure in The Song of Roland?
Charlemagne
What is the central virtue emphasized in Tao Te Ching?
Humility
Which Japanese poetic form emphasizes precision, simplicity, and suggestiveness?
Haiku
What is the primary virtue highlighted in The Analects of Confucius?
Respect
In what way do Tanka poets generally exhibit restraint?
Evoking emotional response through imagery
What is the main theme of The Book of Songs mentioned in the text?
Romantic love
What is the primary characteristic of the Nō theatre as described in the passage?
"Grave and stylized"
What is the main subject of choka, a Japanese poetic form mentioned in the text?
Love
What does the phrase 'wisdom comes in fragments and fractions' imply from The Analects?
"Wisdom is incomplete"
What was the earliest usage of haiku in Japanese poetry?
Opening verse of a renga
What are the leading themes revolving around Tao in Tao Te Ching?
Unnameable and small means
What virtue is emphasized in the tanka poetic form?
Simplicity
What is the central value embodied in the poems of the Book of Songs?
Timely action
Study Notes
Epic Poem Gilgamesh
- Considered one of the earliest surviving works of literature
- Found on tablets in the form of cuneiform script
- The version widely circulated throughout the ancient Middle East was discovered in Nineveh
- Developed over a period of 1,500 years
- Tablets containing portions of Gilgamesh have been found in Babylon, Uruk, and Nineveh
Literary Forms and Collections
- Masnavi takes its name from the Arabic word for 'four'
- The Rigveda is an Indian sacred text that speculates about the origin and nature of the universe
- The Mahabharata is the world's longest epic
- The Panchatantra is a collection of folktales that aim to teach about political matters and interpersonal relationships in ancient India
- Kalidasa is considered the most beloved poet in Indian plays
- The Shi Jing is the earliest known Chinese literary collection, believed to date from around 1000 B.C.
- The Shi Jing begins with lyric poetry
Authors and Works
- 'The Rubaiyat' is attributed to the well-known Islamic poet Omar Khayyam
- 'The Loyal Mongoose' is a story from the Panchatantra collection of folktales and animal fables in Indian literature
- 'Sakuntala' by Kalidasa is rooted in the values of Hindu civilization
- The Vedas are considered the source of all truth and the basis of Hindu religious beliefs
Poetry and Drama
- The Shi Jing consists of 305 songs representing the heritage of the Chou people
- The ancient Sumerians possessed a rich variety of poetry, including narratives, incantations, and devotional poems
- The largest and earliest group of ancient Egyptian poems came from the Old Kingdom period
- In the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt, a type of poetry called 'love poetry' emerged
- The primary characteristic of the Nō theatre is the use of masks and dramatic gestures
- Bunraku is a form of drama that involves the use of puppets in its performance
The Bible and Homer
- The most important example of Hebrew literature is the Bible
- 'The Acts of the Apostles' is an account of the missionary journeys of Paul
- The King James Version of the Bible was written by a committee of scholars
- The primary subject of The Iliad is the Trojan War
- Homer is attributed to the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey
- Greek drama reached its peak in the 5th century in Athens
Other Literary Works
- The Divine Comedy by Dante is an example of a literary work in the epic genre
- Petrarch wrote lyric poems dedicated to Laura
- The Decameron by Boccaccio is an example of a frame story
- Shakespeare wrote the famous line 'To be, or not to be: that is the question'
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a collection of stories
- The Nibelungenlied is a medieval German epic poem that deals with themes of heroism and tragedy
Explore the central values and themes embodied in the poems from the Book of Songs, which originated as folk songs and were mixed with poems from the Chou aristocracy. Delve into the fascination with timely action, the need to speak out, balances and exchanges, and acts of explanation portrayed in the poems.
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