World Literature. Ms. Kamille Legaspi 1

Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Santa Maria Bulacan Campus
Santa Maria, Bulacan
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR
WORLD LITERATURE (GEED 10223)
COMPILED BY:
Ms. Kamille D. Legaspi, LPT, MAE

Faculty Member
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION
This set of instructional materials is prepared for the students who will take World Literature
(GEED 10223) as part of the requirements for the degree-Bachelor of Secondary Education major
in English. It is composed of different outstanding literary pieces from the different parts of the
world. It covers the pieces written from Antiquity, Middles Ages, Renaissance, Romantic period,
Modernist period, and Contemporary period. It focuses on analyzing and appreciating the cultural,
historical, personal, and literary values of the texts.
The texts are arranged according to several themes which were carefully selected based on the
needs and preference of the students. The faculty assigned used various reading materials to
help prepare the content of this instructional materials.
This set is made up 9 chapters. Each contains several units with ample amount of discussion,
and appropriate forms of assessment. The module was prepared to be the source of students’
knowledge despite the current situation; thus, each page was carefully crafted with various
resources as references.
The writer hopes that the learning and development of the students will not stop after finishing
this course; instead, the beginning of their unending passion for literature. To ensure this, the
students ought to make a portfolio for this subject. It must be a regular notebook made creative
to contain all the answers for each exercise and assessment. Hence, no answer shall be written
in the instructional material.
Thank you. I wish you a lot of fun and learning. Stay safe.
KAMILLE D. LEGASPI, MAEd, LPT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: Nature of Literature 1

Overview of Literature Types and Genres of Literature 2
Literary Periods and Movements 5
CHAPTER 2: The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

Selected Literary Pieces on Romance (Christopher Marlowe) 8
The Nymphs Reply to the Shepherd
(Walter Raleigh) 9
Sonnet 116
(William Shakespeare) 10
How do I love thee?
(Elizabeth Browning) 11
Tonight I can write the Saddest Lines
(Pablo Neruda) 12
Annabel Lee (Edgar Allan Poe) 13
The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator
(Anne Sexton) 14
For my Lover Returning to his Wife
(Anne Sexton) 15
A Rose for Emily
(William Faulkner) 17
Romeo and Juliet
(William Shakespeare) 19
CHAPTER 3: The Gift of the Magi (O’ Henry) 24

Selected Literary Pieces on Familial Love The Last Leaf (O’ Henry) 25
The Flight of Icarus
(Greek Mythology) 26
Metamorphosis (Franz Kafkha) 27
The Aged Mother
(Japanese Folktale) 29
CHAPTER 4: Beowulf 33
Selected Literary Pieces on Heroism and Gilgamesh
Adventures 35
CHAPTER 5: The Canterbury Tales

Selected Literary Pieces on Society and (Geoffrey Chaucer) 41
Conflicts What were they like?
(Denise Levertov) 41
The Happy Prince
(Oscar Wilde) 44
Miss Saigon 47
Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) 50

CHAPTER 6: Telephone Conversation
Selected Literary Pieces on Discrimination (Wole Soyinka) 55
I know why the Caged Bird Sings
(Maya Angelou) 55
To Kill a Mocking Bird
(Harper Lee) 56
Life in our Village
(Matei Makwei) 57
Yerma (Federico Llorca) 59
CHAPTER 7 Macbeth
Selected Literary Pieces on Greed and (William Shakespeare) 68
Contentment The Necklace
(Guy de Mauppasant) 70
How much Land does a Man need
(Leo Tolstoy) 72
What should a Man want?
(Wang Chi) 73
CHAPTER 8 The Road Not Taken

Selected Literary Pieces on Choices and (Robert Frost) 76
Consequences The Armful (Robert Frost) 77
The Lady or the Tiger
(Frank Stockton)
77
CHAPTER 9 Because I could not Stop for Death

Selected Literary Pieces on Death (Emily Dickinson) 80
Bells (Edgar Allan Poe) 81
To an Athlete Dying Young
(A.E. Housman) 83
Divine Comedi (Dante Alegueri) 85
GRADING SYSTEM 88
REFERENCES 88

COURSE OUTCOMES:
• Identify the elements that make up the various outstanding pieces from the different
parts of the world.
• Differentiate the culture and traditions of the countries from which the materials were
sourced.
• Summarize and outline the selected pieces.
• Explain the themes of the literary pieces.
• Transform the pieces to a variety of forms while maintaining its original idea.
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE
Learning Outcomes:
After successful completion of this chapter, the students should be able to:
• Define Literature.
• Enumerate the elements, genres and forms of Literature.
• Differentiate Prose form Poetry and Fictional from Non-Fictional Literatures.
• Draw the timeline of literary periods and movements.
Course Materials:
• Nature of Literature
• Types and Genres of Literature
• Literary Periods and Movements
UNIT 1: NATURE OF LITERATURE
What is Literature?
-it comes from the word litera which literally means an acquaintance with letters.
-It consists of those writing which interpret the meanings of nature and life, in words of
chm and power, touched with the personality of the author, in artistic forms of permanent
interest. -Henry Van Dyke
-it represents the significant human experiences
What are the Literary Standards?
A literary piece must possess the following to be qualified as literature. It was developed
by William J. Long in his textbook “English Literature: It History and Its Significance for the Life of
the English-speaking World.
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 1

1. Universality – a literary piece must appeal to anyone regardless of readers’ cultural
background, race, sexual preference, and age. Everyone must be able to relate to it.
2. Artistry or Aesthetic Value- a literary piece must possess an aesthetic appeal. The
words that are put together must charm the readers.
3. Intellectual Value- a literary piece must empower critical thinking of the readers. It must
enrich the mental processes of abstract and reasoning of man making him realizes the
fundamental truths of life and its nature.
4. Suggestiveness/Emotional Value- a literary piece must untangle and invoke man’s
emotional power to define symbolisms, nuances, implied meanings, images and
messages, giving and evoking visions above and beyond the plane of ordinary life and
experiences.
5. Spiritual Value- a literary piece must uplift the spirit and the soul. It must have the power
to motivate and inspire, drawn from the suggested morals or lessons of the different literary
genres.
6. Permanence- a literary piece must endure time. It must not occur only at a specific time.
7. Style- Its presents peculiar ways on how man sees life as evidenced by the formation of
his ideas, forms, structures and expressions which are marked by their memorable
substance.
Exercise:
Write your answer on your portfolio.
1. What is literature?
2. What are the two common topics of literary pieces?
3. Give one literary piece that possess the 7 literary standards. Explain your answer.
UNIT 2: TYPES AND GENRES OF LITERATURE
Genres of Literature (Genres of Literature, 2020)

The two main categories:
1. Fiction- these literary pieces are based on the imagination of the author. It may be
founded on a true story or situation. The word is from the Latin fictio which means the act
of making, fashioning or molding.
Types of Fiction:
A. Prose- it is a genre of literature which are written or spoken using the ordinary
language. It is formed without metrical structure.
Some Types of Prose
a. Drama- these are stories that are formed through verse or prose which are
usually for theatrical performance. The conflicts and emotions are expressed
through dialogue and action. e.g. Antigone by Sophocles
b. Fables- these are stories that use animals with “human-like” capabilities as
characters. It usually leaves useful truths. e.g. Animal Farm by George Orwell
c. Fairy Tales or Wonder tales- are a kind of folktale or fable. These are stories
with magical creatures that are written for the amusement of children. e.g.
Cinderella

d. Science Fiction/Sci-Fi- these are stories founded on the impact of science.
These are usually set in the future or other planets. e.g. Hunger Games Series
by Suzanne Collins
e. Realistic Fiction-these are stories that are based on real life and could have
happened. e.g. The Fault n Our Stars by John Green
f. Folktales- these are stories that are handed down by word of mouth. These
are usually based on unsubstantiated beliefs. e.g. The Monkey and the Turtle
g. Historical Fiction- these are stories with fictional characters and events in a
historical setting. e.g. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
h. Tall Tale-these are humorous stories with blatant exaggerations, swaggering
heroes who do the impossible without showing anxiety. e.g. Paul Bunyan
i. Legend- these are stories about national or folk heroes that are based on facts
but may also contain imaginative materials. e.g. King Arthur
j. Mythology-these are types of traditional narratives based on historical events.
It usually uses gods and goddesses as characters with several human-like
traits. e.g. Creation Myth (Greek Mythology)
B. Poetry- it is type of literature that conveys a thought, describes a scene or tells a story
in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words. Poems can be structured, with
rhyming lines and meter, the rhythm and emphasis of a line based on syllabic beats.
Poems can also be freeform, which follows no formal structure (Masterclass, 2019).
Some Poetic Forms
a. Blank verse- is a poetry written with a precise meter (usually iambic
pentameter) that does not rhyme.
Note: When a poem is written in iambic pentameter, it means each line
contains five iambs-two syllable pairs in which the second syllable is
emphasized.
b. Rhymed Poem- is a form of poetry that contains vowel sounds at
particular moment. e.g. Ulysses by Robert Browning
c. Free Verse- is a form of poetry that does not follow or contain the
traditional rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form. e.g. Song
of Myself by Walt Whitman
d. Epic- it is a long poetry that is almost like a narrative poetry. However,
unlike the latter, it usually describes or narrates the extraordinary
pursuits of heroes and other characters from the past. e.g. Gilgamesh
e. Narrative Poetry- is a long poetry that narrates through verse. It has a
plot, characters and setting like a regular story.
f. Haiku- it is a poetry that originated in Japan. It has three lines following
the 5 syllable-7 syllable-5 syllable pattern.
g. Pastoral Poetry- it is a type of poetry that focuses on topics related to
the natural world, rural life and landscapes.
h. Sonnet- It is a 14-line poetry. Petrarchan (Italian Sonnets) and
Shakespearean (English Sonnets) are two of the most famous forms of
it. e.g. Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
i. Elegy- it is a poetry carries melancholy since it focuses on topics such
as death or loss. e.g. O Captain! My Captain by Walt Whitman
j. Ode- It is a poetry that is written to pay tribute to its topic. e.g. Ode on
a Grecian Urn by John Keats
k. Limerick- it is poetry that contains 5 lines following the AABBA rhyme
scheme. It is usually a short tale or description. e.g. There was a Small
Boy of Quebec by Rudyard Kipling

l. Lyric Poetry- it is a poetry dedicated to explore the emotions of the
speaker. It has songlike quality since it is originally intended to be set
to music, accompanied by a musical instrument called a lyre.
m. Ballad- it is a form of narrative verse that can be either poetic or
musical. It typically follows a pattern of rhymed quatrains.
n. Villanelle- it is a nineteen-line poem consisting of five tercets and a
quatrain, with a highly specified internal rhyme scheme. e.g. Do not Go
Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
Elements of Traditional Poetry

• Rhythm- it can be described as the beat and pace of a poem
• Meter- is the basic rhythmic structure of a line within a work of poetry. Meter
consists of two components: the number of syllables and a pattern of
emphasis on those syllables.
o A line of poetry can be broken into feet, which are individual units
within a line of poetry. A foot of poetry has a specific number of
syllables and a specific pattern of emphasis. Trochee (DUH-duh),
iamb (duh-DUH), Spondee (DUH-DUH), Dactyl (DUH-duh-duh) and
Anapest (duh-duh-DUH) are some of the common types of feet.
• Rhyme Scheme- is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a line
or stanza. It can change line by line, stanza by stanza, or can continue
throughout a poem. For example, the rhyme scheme ABAB means the first
and third lines of a stanza, or the As rhyme with each other, and the second
line rhymes with the fourth line, or the Bs rhyme together.
• Stanza- is used o describe the main building block of a poem. It is a unit of
poetry composed of lines that relate to a similar thought or topic. It is like a
paragraph in prose or verse in a song.
• Imagery- it is the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience
in the reader. It uses words that appeal to the sense of sight, taste, smell,
sound, internal and external feelings.
1. Nonfiction- it is a broad genre of writing that encompasses all materials that are based
on facts.
Some Genres of Nonfiction
o History-it consists of true accounts of historical eras and events.
o Biography, autobiographies and memoirs- it subset of nonfiction
focuses on the life story of a particular subject.
o Travel guides and travelogues- these are recount of author’s specific
experience traveling somewhere.
Exercise:
1. What is the difference between Prose and Poetry?
2. What is the difference between Fiction and Nonfiction?

UNIT 3: LITERARY PERIODS AND MOVEMENTS
The chart below points out the highlights of the World literature. This was taken from Jalic Inc
(2011).

Assessment:
Part 1
Write your answer before each number.
1. Which among the following is/are the common topic/s of literary pieces?
a. valuable human experiences c. life
b. nature d. All of the above
2. The song Anak by Fredie Aguilar has been translated to many different languages
because its theme appealed to a variety of audience. Based on the given idea, what
possible characteristics of literature does it have?
a. Permanence c. Universality
b. Intellectual Value d. All of the above
3. Noli Me Tangere is a famous novel written by Dr. Jose Rizal. At the present, it is still being
studied and appreciated by the Filipinos because of the value that it reflects to our history.
It has ______.
a. Permanence c. Emotional Value
b. Intellectual Value d. Universality
4. Ang Alibughang Anak is story from the Bible that talks about Family and the unconditional
love of a father to his son which reflects God’s love to us-his children. It has ______.
a. Style c. Permanence
b. Spiritual Value d. Universality
5. Nicholas Sparks is known in writing novels with bitter-sweet ending. His novels are
considered part of Popular Literature. Based on the given idea, what possible
characteristics of literature does it have?
a. Intellectual Value c. Universality
b. Style d. Permanence
6. What is the basic difference between Prose and Poetry?

a. Prose uses metrical style of writing while poetry does not.
b. Prose uses ordinary language while poetry uses a brief form of expression.
c. Prose uses characters while Poetry does not.
d. All of the above
7. Songs are considered ___________.

a. Prose c. Fiction
b. Poetry d. Non-fiction
8. Which among the following are most likely to be products of real-life scenarios and
situations?
a. Prose c. Fiction
b. Poetry d. Non-fiction

9. If the writer does not use meter and other traditional elements of poetry, what does it
attempts to write?
a. Blank Verse c. Rhymed Poems
b. Free Verse d. Narrative Poetry
10. If the imagery are pictures in story books, what are paragraphs in poetry?
a. Rhyme c. Meter
b. Figures of Speech d. Stanza
Part 2
Using your own diagram, draw the timeline of literary periods and movements.

CHAPTER 2: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON ROMANCE
Learning Outcomes:
• Identify the theme of the literary pieces.
• Describe the structure of the pieces.
• Deconstruct the pieces by applying the appropriate literary theories.
Course Materials:
• The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (Christopher Marlowe)
• The Nymphs Reply to the Shepherd (Walter Raleigh)
• Sonnet 116 (William Shakespeare)
• How do I love thee? (Elizabeth Browning)
• Tonight I can write the Saddest Lines (Pablo Neruda)
• Annabel Lee (Edgar Allan Poe)
• The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator (Anne Sexton)
• For my Lover Returning to his Wife (Anne Sexton)
• A Rose for Emily (William Faulkner)
• Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)
• Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia-Marquez)
UNIT 1: THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD
Author’s Background: Christopher Marlowe, (baptized Feb. 26, 1564, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.—
died May 30, 1593, Deptford, near London), Elizabethan poet and Shakespeare’s most important
predecessor in English drama, who is noted especially for his establishment of dramatic blank
verse (Leech, 2020)
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

BY CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
I II
Come live with me and be my love, And we will sit upon the Rocks,
And we will all the pleasures prove, Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields, By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Woods, or steepy mountain yields. Melodious birds sing Madrigals.
III IV
And I will make thee beds of Roses A gown made of the finest wool
And a thousand fragrant posies, Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Fair lined slippers for the cold,
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle; With buckles of the purest gold;
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces in Romance 8

V VI
A belt of straw and Ivy buds, The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
With Coral clasps and Amber studs: For thy delight each May-morning:
And if these pleasures may thee move, If these delights thy mind may move,
Come live with me, and be my love. Then live with me, and be my love.
Exercise:
Answer the following:
1. Describe the persona (speaker) in the poem.

a. job:
b. goal:
2. Provide 2 images in the poetry then explain its significance in the strategy of the persona to
achieve his goal.
3. If you were the nymph, what will be your response? Why?
4.Describe the piece as an example of a Pastoral poetry.
5.Pick one verse that you like best. Paraphrase it briefly.
UNIT 2: THE NYMPHS REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: Sir Walter Raleigh was an English adventurer and writer who
established a colony near Roanoke Island, in present-day North Carolina. He was imprisoned in
the Tower of London and eventually put to death for treason (Biography, 2020)
The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

BY SI R WALTER RALEG H
I. II.
If all the world and love were young, Time drives the flocks from field to fold,
And truth in every Shepherd’s tongue, When Rivers rage and Rocks grow cold
These pretty pleasures might me move, And Philomel becometh dumb,
To live with thee, and be thy love. The rest complains of cares to come.
III. IV.
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields, Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of Roses,
To wayward winter reckoning yields, Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
A honey tongue, a heart of gall, Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten:
Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall. In folly ripe, in reason rotten.
V. VI.
Thy belt of straw and Ivy buds, But could youth last, and love still breed,
The Coral clasps and amber studs, Had joys no date, nor age no need,
All these in me no means can move Then these delights my mind might move
To come to thee and be thy love. To live with thee, and be thy love.

Exercise:
Answer the following on your portfolio.
1. Describe the persona (speaker) in the poem.

2. Provide 2 images in the poetry that explains the response of the Nymph to the Shepherd.
3. If you were the nymph, will you have the same response? Why?
4.Describe the piece as an example of a Pastoral poetry.
5.Pick one verse that you like best. Paraphrase it briefly.
UNIT 3: SONNET 116
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere,

byname Bard of Avon or Swan of Avon, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, England—died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and
actor often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist
of all time. He is known for writing the collection of Sonnets known as the English Sonnets (Brown,
2020)
BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT: The sonnet is unique among poetic forms in Western literature in
that it has retained its appeal for major poets for five centuries. The form seems to have originated
in the 13th century among the Sicilian school of court poets, who were influenced by the
love poetry of Provençal troubadours. The sonnet was introduced to England, along with other
Italian verse forms, by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, in the 16th century.
The new forms precipitated the great Elizabethan flowering of lyric poetry, and the period marks
the peak of the sonnet’s English popularity. In the course of adapting the Italian form to a language
less rich in rhymes, the Elizabethans gradually arrived at the distinctive English sonnet, which is
composed of three quatrains (4 lines per verse), each having an independent rhyme scheme, and
is ended with a rhymed couplet (2 lines per verse) . The rhyme scheme of the English sonnet
is abab cdcd efef gg. The typical Elizabethan use of the sonnet was in a sequence of love poems
in the manner of Petrarch.
Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
I. II.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
Admit impediments. Love is not love That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
Which alters when it alteration finds, It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Or bends with the remover to remove. Whose worth's unknown, although his height be
taken.
III.FG IV.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks If this be error and upon me prov'd
Within his bending sickle's compass come; I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

Exercise:
Answer the following on your portfolio.
1. Explain the topic of the poetry using the ideas presented by the persona.
2. State 2 lines in the poetry that explains the view of the speaker about love.
3. Do you agree with the persona? Why or why not?
4.Describe the piece as an example of Sonnets.
5.Pick one line/verse that you like best then turn it into a new quotation.
UNIT 4: HOW DO I LOVE THEE?
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: Elizabeth Barret-Browning was born in 1806. She is a Victorian

poet who published her first major collection, The Seraphim and Other Poems, in 1838.
Her collection Poems (1844) caught the attention of fellow poet Robert Browning, whose admiring
letter to her led to a lifelong romance and marriage. The couple moved to Italy, where Elizabeth
became interested in Italian politics and released her monumental work, Sonnets From the
Portuguese in 1850.
HOW DO I LOVE THEE? (SONNET 45)

ELIZABETH BARRET-BROWNING
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Exercise:
1. What is the view of the persona towards Love?

2. State 2 lines from the poetry that explains this view.
3. Do you agree with the persona? Why or why not?
4.Describe the piece as an example of Sonnets.
5.Pick one line/verse that you like best then turn it into a new quotation.

UNIT 5: TONIGHT I CAN WRITE THE SADDEST LINES
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: Pablo Neruda is one of the most influential and widely read 20th-
century poets of the Americas. He is considered as Whitman of the South. He was born with the
name Ricardo Eliezer Neftali Reyes y Basoalto.
TONIGHT I CAN WRITE THE SADDEST LINES

PABLO NERUDA
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is shattered

and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms

I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.

How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.

And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.

The night is shattered and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.

My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight searches for her as though to go to her.

My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.

We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.

My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.

Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms

my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer

and these the last verses that I write for her.
Exercise:
1. What is over-all feeling of the persona as stated in the poem? Point out the imageries that
highlight it.
2. Why do you think the persona has the feeling you stated in your answer in no. 1?
3. State at least 3 examples of Personifications used by the author to enrich the imagery of the
literary piece.
Note: Personification- is a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics to something
nonhuman
4. Pick one line/verse that you like. Explain your understanding of the selected line/verse.
5. Relate the poem to a song. Justify the selection of your chosen song.
UNIT 6: ANABELLE LEE
Author’s Background: Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most important and influential American
writers of the 19h century. He is known as the Father of Detective Story. The name Poe brings to
mind images f murders and madmen, premature burials and mysterious women who return from
the dead. His reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric
poetry.
Annabel Lee
BY EDG AR ALLAN PO E
I II
It was many and many a year ago, I was a child and she was a child,
In a kingdom by the sea, In this kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may But we loved with a love that was more than
know love—
By the name of Annabel Lee; I and my Annabel Lee—
And this maiden she lived with no other With a love that the wingèd seraphs of
thought Heaven
Than to love and be loved by me. Coveted her and me.

III IV
And this was the reason that, long ago, The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
In this kingdom by the sea, Went envying her and me—
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
My beautiful Annabel Lee; In this kingdom by the sea)
So that her highborn kinsmen came That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
And bore her away from me, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
V VI
But our love it was stronger by far than the For the moon never beams, without bringing
love me dreams
Of those who were older than we— Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
Of many far wiser than we— And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright
And neither the angels in Heaven above eyes
Nor the demons down under the sea Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; side
Of my darling—my darling—my life and my
bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Exercise:
Answer the questions on your porftfolio.
1. Who is Annabel Lee? Describe her.

2. What kind love does the persona share with Anabelle Lee? Describe it.
3. Describe the love the persona has for Anabelle Lee.
4. Have you experienced the same love? or Do you know anyone who has the same
experienced?
5. Relate the story to a movie. Explain how their similarities.
UNIT 7: THE BALLAD OF THE LONELY MASTURBATOR
Author’s Background: Anne Sexton was an influential American poet who was known for her
highly personal and confessional poetry, dealing primarily with her long battle with depression,
suicidal tendencies and various intimate details of her private life. One of her best works was ‘Live
or Die’, published in 1966, which was a collection of poems mostly in free-verse and rhythm. This
book won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1967. It is interesting to note that her writing began only as a
therapy, as her therapist encouraged her to write about her thoughts and feelings. It was her
poems about her psychiatric struggles which led to her writing and publishing books. The victim
of a troubled childhood, she suffered from psychological issues throughout her life. A difficult
marriage and the birth of her children only worsened her mental health. Despite living a life of
materialistic comfort, she had never experienced true happiness. A series of volatile sexual affairs
further complicated her life which ended tragically at the age of 45 (Poets.org).

The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator
BY ANNE SEXTO N
I II
The end of the affair is always death. Finger to finger, now she’s mine.
She’s my workshop. Slippery eye, She’s not too far. She’s my encounter.
out of the tribe of myself my breath I beat her like a bell. I recline
finds you gone. I horrify in the bower where you used to mount her.
those who stand by. I am fed. You borrowed me on the flowered spread.
At night, alone, I marry the bed. At night, alone, I marry the bed.
III IV
Take for instance this night, my love, I break out of my body this way,
that every single couple puts together an annoying miracle. Could I
with a joint overturning, beneath, above, put the dream market on display?
the abundant two on sponge and feather, I am spread out. I crucify.
kneeling and pushing, head to head. My little plum is what you said.
At night alone, I marry the bed. At night, alone, I marry the bed.
V VI
Then my black-eyed rival came. She took you the way a woman takes
The lady of water, rising on the beach, a bargain dress off the rack
a piano at her fingertips, shame and I broke the way a stone breaks.
on her lips and a flute’s speech. I give back your books and fishing tack.
And I was the knock-kneed broom instead. Today’s paper says that you are wed.
At night, alone, I marry the bed. At night, alone, I marry the bed.
VII
The boys and girls are one tonight.
They unbutton blouses. They unzip flies.
They take off shoes. They turn off the light.
The glimmering creatures are full of lies.
They are eating each other. They are
overfed.
At night, alone, I marry the bed.
Exercise:
Answer the questions below:
1. Cite 3 lines that suggest the persona is masturbating.

2. What do you think is the meaning behind the image of masturbation? Justify your answer.
3. What is the over-all emotion expressed in the poem? Justify your answer.
4. What can be learned from the poetry?
5. Why do you think Anne Sexton is labelled as a Confessional writer?

UNIT 8: FOR MY LOVER RETURNING TO HIS WIFE
For My Lover Returning to His Wife

Anne Sexton
She is all there.

She was melted carefully down for you
and cast up from your childhood,
cast up from your one hundred favorite aggies.
She has always been there, my darling.
She is, in fact, exquisite.
Fireworks in the dull middle of February
and as real as a cast-iron pot.
Let's face it, I have been momentary.
vA luxury. A bright red sloop in the harbor.
My hair rising like smoke from the car window.
Littleneck clams out of season.
She is more than that. She is your have to have,
has grown you your practical your tropical growth.
This is not an experiment. She is all harmony.
She sees to oars and oarlocks for the dinghy,
has placed wild flowers at the window at breakfast,
sat by the potter's wheel at midday,
set forth three children under the moon,
three cherubs drawn by Michelangelo,
done this with her legs spread out
in the terrible months in the chapel.
If you glance up, the children are there
like delicate balloons resting on the ceiling.
She has also carried each one down the hall
after supper, their heads privately bent,
two legs protesting, person to person,
her face flushed with a song and their little sleep.
I give you back your heart.
I give you permission -
for the fuse inside her, throbbing
angrily in the dirt, for the bitch in her
and the burying of her wound -
for the burying of her small red wound alive -
for the pale flickering flare under her ribs,
for the drunken sailor who waits in her left pulse,
for the mother's knee, for the stocking,
for the garter belt, for the call -
the curious call
when you will burrow in arms and breasts
and tug at the orange ribbon in her hair
and answer the call, the curious call.
She is so naked and singular

She is the sum of yourself and your dream.
Climb her like a monument, step after step.
She is solid.
As for me, I am a watercolor.
I wash off.
Exercise:
Answer the questions below:
1. Who is the persona (speaker) in the poetry? Justify your answer by citing lines.
2. What is the view of the persona toward the wife? Justify your answer by citing lines.
3. What is the over-all emotion expressed in the poem? Justify your answer.
4. What is your view toward the situation of the persona, wife and lover? Does it happen in reality?
5. What can be learned from the poetry?
UNIT 9: A ROSE FOR EMILY
Author’s Background: William Faulkner, in full William Cuthbert Faulkner, original

surname Falkner, (born September 25, 1897, New Albany, Mississippi, U.S.—died July 6, 1962,
Byhalia, Mississippi), American novelist and short-story writer who was awarded the 1949 Nobel
Prize for Literature. By the time of his death Faulkner had clearly emerged not just as the major
American novelist of his generation but as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century,
unmatched for his extraordinary structural and stylistic resourcefulness, for the range and depth
of his characterization and social notation, and for his persistence and success in exploring
fundamental human issues in intensely localized terms. Some critics, early and late, have found
his work extravagantly rhetorical and unduly violent, and there have been strong objections,
especially late in the 20th century, to the perceived insensitivity of his portrayals of women and
black Americans. His reputation, grounded in the sheer scale and scope of his achievement,
seems nonetheless secure, and he remains a profoundly influential presence for novelists writing
in the United States, South America, and, indeed, throughout the world (Millgate, 2020).
A Rose for Emily

William FaulknerSummary of Part I
The narrator of this story is the voice of the town rather than a specific person. The story begins
with a recounting of when Miss Emily Grierson died, and how the whole town went to her
funeral. The women of the town went mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house,
which is "a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and
spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had
once been our most select street."
The reader then gets a explanation of why Miss Emily had been a "hereditary obligation upon
the town." In 1894, the mayor, Colonel Sartoris, remitted her taxes after the death of her father.
When the next generation came into office, the Board of Alderman had a meeting to decide how
to collect taxes from Miss Emily, who was in the habit of not paying them. A "deputation" went to
her house and waited in the dusty parlor until Miss Emily entered. She repeats that Colonel
Sartoris has told her she has no taxes in Jefferson, though the Colonel had been dead for
almost a decade.

Summary of Part II
The narrator now skips back in time thirty years, to two years after the death of Miss Emily's
father and just a short time after the disappearance of her sweetheart. The neighbors
complained to Judge Stevens, the mayor, about the smell. The Board of Aldermen met to
discuss what to do, and rather than confront Miss Emily, as the young one suggested, they
sneak over to her house and sprinkle lime around. As they crossed the lawn to leave, a light
came on, and they saw Miss Emily in the window.
The narrator recalls that this was when "people had begun to feel really sorry for her." He
discusses how they had, in a way, resented the Griersons as being too high-and-mighty, and so
when Miss Emily reached the age of thirty and was still unmarried, they felt "not pleased exactly,
but vindicated." When the ladies of the town went to the house to call on Miss Emily the day
after her father's death, Miss Emily told them that her father was not dead. Finally, after three
days and under threat of law and force, she allows her father to be buried. The townspeople did
not say she was crazy then, because they assumed she had to "cling to that which had robbed
her" of a married life, since her father had driven away her suitors.
Summary of Part III

The narrator follows chronologically now, to the arrival of the construction company to pave the
sidewalks. Homor Barron was the gregarious foreman, and the townspeople began to observe
him in Miss Emily's company driving on Sundays. The old people said, "Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk
should come to her."
Then the narrator tells the story of when Miss Emily went to the druggist to request "some
poison." The conversation between Miss Emily and the druggist is related word for word, and
the druggist gives her the poison while strongly implying that it should only be used "for rats and
such." When the package is delivered to her, "For rats" is written on it.
Summary of Part IV
The women of the town began to say that her riding around in the buggy with Homer Barron,
with no intention of marriage, was a "disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young
people." The Baptist minister called upon her, but left and refused to return; his wife wrote to
Miss Emily's family in Alabama a week later. Her "kinsfolk" came to her, from Alabama, even
though there had been a falling out in the family. The townspeople thought that "the two female
cousins were even more Grierson than Miss Emily had ever been." The town had become a
"cabal, and we were all Miss Emily's allies to help circumvent the cousins." Homer Barron
disappeared, but after the cousins from Alabama left, a neighbor reported seeing Homer Barron
return to the house "at dusk one evening." But he was never seen again.
After that, Miss Emily did not leave the house for six months.
For a period of "six or seven years" when she was about forty years old, Miss Emily gave china-
painting lessons to "the daughters and granddaughters of Colonel Sartoris' contemporaries."
Then the students stopped coming. Miss Emily also refused to let a mailbox be attached to her
house when the town got postal delivery service. Years pass and Miss Emily "passed from
generation to generation - dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse." The town did
not even know she was sick before she died, since Tobe, her servant, did not talk to anyone.

Summary of Part V
After letting in the mourners after Miss Emily's death, Tobe disappeared out the back door. The
two female cousins from Alabama arrived and held the funeral. The narrator describes how a
group of townspeople waited until Miss Emily "was decently in the ground" before forcing open
the door to a deserted room above the stairs. The room was coated in dust, and "decked and
furnished as for a bridal," including a man's toiletries and "carefuly folded" suit. And there on the
bed was the rotting body of Homer Barron in a nightshirt. On the pillow next to him, also coated
in dust, was the indentation of a head, and a single strand of "iron-gray hair," which the reader
can assume belonged to Miss Emily.
Exercise:
1. Describe the 2 main characters in the story.
2. Describe how Man vs. Himself became one of the main conflicts of the story.
3. Describe the case of Necrophilia (sexual intercourse with or attraction towards corpses) in the
story.
4. What can be learned from the life of Emily?
5. Why is it titled A Rose for Emily?
UNIT 10: ROMEO AND JULIET
Author’s Background: Shakespeare is renowned as the English playwright and poet whose
body of works is considered the greatest in history of English literature. Shakespeare headed to
London sometime in 1586, there already was an established community of playwrights. By 1595,
Shakespeare was sufficiently successful to be named as one of the more senior members of the
Lord Chamberlain's men, an acting company that performed frequently before court. This was no
small honor; this prominent theatre company later became the royal company called the King's
Men, making Shakespeare an official playwright to the King of England. His fortunes were also
improving during this time; in 1597 he purchased the second largest house in Stratford which he
called New Place and began buying up land around Stratford. One year later, Shakespeare
became a ten percent owner of the new purpose-built theatre in London, the famous Globe
Theatre were so many of his plays would later be performed.
Shakespeare's works are often divided into four periods beginning with what is referred to as an
experimental period starting around 1591 and ending around 1593 which includes Titus
Andronicus, Love's Labour's Lost, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Comedy of Errors and The
Taming of the Shrew.The second period ending around 1601, marks the establishment of
Shakespeare and includes the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the comedies, The Merchant of Venice,
A Midsummer-Night's Dream, Much Ado about Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and the
history plays, Henry IV, Parts I and II, Henry V, Richard II, King John and Julius Caesar.The third
period ending around 1610 marks perhaps the apex of Shakespeare's work with the
tragedies, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear but also comedies such as Twelfth Night, All's
Well that Ends Well and the epic history play, Antony and Cleopatra.The final period ends around
1611 with the plays, Cymbeline, Henry VIII and romances such as The Tempest and The Winter's
Tale (AbsoluteShakespeare, 2005)
Background of the text: Romeo and Juliet is one of the tragedies written by Shakespeare. It was
first published in 1597 and was published again in 1599 as the complete version.

Main Characters:
a. Romeo- the son and only heir of the Montague. He is a 16-yr old boy who went to a party
uninvited because of his love Rosaline. He fell in love with Juliet in the instance he met her at the
same party.
b. Juliet- the daughter and only heir of the Capulet. She fell in love with the son of her family’s
great rival-the Montague. She was set to marry Paris because her family was not aware that she
was already married to the young Romeo. She pretended to be dead to elope with Romeo but
their plan did not succeed.
c. Friar Lawrence- he is the friend of Romeo and Juliet. He married the couple with the hop that
the union will bring peace to Verona. He gave Juliet as part of her plan to escape and be with
Romeo.
d. Mercutio- he is a close friend of Romeo. His death pushed Romeo to kill Tybalt which led him
to a punishment. Romeo was sent away from Verona.
e. Tybalt- He loathes the Montagues. He is the cousin of Juliet who killed Mercutio. Romeo killed
him as a result.
f. Paris- he was set to marry Juliet. But it did not happen because Juliet attempted to eloped with
Romeo.
Summary of Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare
Act I: Romeo and Juliet begins as the Chorus introduces two feuding families of Verona: the
Capulets and the Montagues. On a hot summer's day, the young men of each faction fight until
the Prince of Verona intercedes and threatens to banish them. Soon after, the head of the Capulet
family plans a feast. His goal is to introduce his daughter Juliet to a Count named Paris who seeks
to marry Juliet.
Montague's son Romeo and his friends (Benvolio and Mercutio) hear of the party and resolve to
go in disguise. Romeo hopes to see his beloved Rosaline at the party. Instead, while there, he
meets Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. Juliet's cousin Tybalt recognises the Montague
boys and forces them to leave just as Romeo and Juliet discover one another.
Act II: Romeo lingers near the Capulet house to talk with Juliet when she appears in her window.
The pair declare their love for one another and intend to marry the next day. With the help of
Juliet's Nurse, the lovers arrange to marry when Juliet goes for confession at the cell of Friar
Laurence. There, they are secretly married (talk about a short engagement).
Act III: Following the secret marriage, Juliet's cousin Tybalt sends a challenge to Romeo. Romeo
refuses to fight, which angers his friend Mercutio who then fights with Tybalt. Mercutio is
accidentally killed as Romeo intervenes to stop the fight. In anger, Romeo pursues Tybalt, kills
him, and is banished by the Prince.
Juliet is anxious when Romeo is late to meet her and learns of the brawl, Tybalt's death, and
Romeo's banishment. Friar Laurence arranges for Romeo to spend the night with Juliet before he
leaves for Mantua. Meanwhile, the Capulet family grieves for Tybalt, so Lord Capulet moves
Juliet's marriage to Paris to the next day. Juliet’s parents are angry when Juliet doesn't want to
marry Paris, but they don't know about her secret marriage to Romeo.

Act IV: Friar Laurence helps Juliet by providing a sleeping draught that will make her seem dead.
When the wedding party arrives to greet Juliet the next day, they believe she is dead. The Friar
sends a messenger to warn Romeo of Juliet's plan and bids him to come to the Capulet family
monument to rescue his sleeping wife.
Act V: The vital message to Romeo doesn't arrive in time because the plague is in town (so the
messenger cannot leave Verona). Hearing from his servant that Juliet is dead, Romeo buys
poison from an Apothecary in Mantua. He returns to Verona and goes to the tomb where he
surprises and kills the mourning Paris. Romeo takes his poison and dies, while Juliet awakens
from her drugged coma. She learns what has happened from Friar Laurence, but she refuses to
leave the tomb and stabs herself. The Friar returns with the Prince, the Capulets, and Romeo's
lately widowed father. The deaths of their children lead the families to make peace, and they
promise to erect a monument in Romeo and Juliet's memory.
Exercise:
1. Describe the 2 main characters in the story using your own words.
2. Describe how Man vs. Man became one of the main conflicts of the story.
3. What is the theme of the story? Explain your answer.
4. What can be learned from the life of Emily?
5. Pick a modern story that is almost the same as the plot of the play. Explain the reason behind
the selection.
Assessment:
1. What meaning can be inferred from the line below?

Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
A. Love is immeasurable. C. Love does not easily change.
B. Love inspires. D. Nothing is impossible in love.
2. What best describes the persona of the poem “The Passionate Shepherd?
A. He is a lover. C. He is willing to offer everything
B. He loves a nymph. D. He is not honest.
3. Romeo and Juliet are known for being _____________.

A. The one that got away C. The greatest sadness
B. The star-crossed lovers D. The greatest tragedy
4. Who is known as the Bard of Avon?

A. Edgar Allan Poe C. William Shakespeare
B. Pablo Neruda D. Christopher Marlowe
5. “and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death” is taken from ________.
A. How do I love thee? C. The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator
B. Patterns D. Romeo and Juliet

6. Who is the object of the poem “Tonight I can Write the Saddest Lines?”
A. A woman C. Somebody the persona loves
B. An ex-lover D. All of the above
7. What is the response of the nymph in the poem “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd?
A. Yes, because she loves her lover.
B. Yes, because she knows her lover will do everything for her.
C. No, because her lover does not offer what she truly needs.
D. No, because she does not believe her lover.
8. In which Era did William Shakespeare become very famous?

A. Dark Ages C. Elizabethan Period
B. Renaissance Period D. All of the above
9. What is feeling of persona of the poem “The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator?”
A. Sad C. Bitter
B. In love D. Lonely
10. What is creepy in the story “A Rose for Emily?”

A. They found Homer’s body inside Emily’s house.
B. They found hair strands of Emily beside Homer’s cadaver.
C. Emily killed Homer.
D. All of the above
11. What among the following lines from the “The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator” shows
the imagery of Masturbation?
A. You borrowed me on the flowered spread.
B. kneeling and pushing, head to head.
C. At night, alone, I marry the bed.
D. I am spread out. I crucify.
12. Who is known as the Father of Horror?

A. Edgar Allan Poe C. William Shakespeare
B. Pablo Neruda D. Christopher Marlowe
13. Love is so short; forgetting is so long is a line taken from ________.

A. How do I love thee? C. Patterns
B. For my lover returning to his wife D. Tonight I can write the saddest lines
14. If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me, and be my love.
What is the meaning of the lines above?
A. It is the shepherd’s declaration of love.
B. It is the shepherd’s invitation
C. It is the shepherd’s statement of feelings.
D. All of the above
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.
15. The lines above states that ____________.
A. The persona’s love is immeasurable.
B. The persona’s love is indescribable.
C. The persona’s love is everlasting.
D. The persona’s love is full of passion.
16. The flowers do fade, and wanton fields,

To wayward winter reckoning yields,
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy’s spring, but sorrow’s fall.
What does the lines above refer to?

A. Time changes everything. C. People change
B. Feelings change. D. All of the above
17. Who among the following writers was a Pulitzer Awardee who committed suicide due to
depression?
A. Elizabeth Browning C. Anne Sexton
B. Pablo Neruda D. Walter Raleigh
18. The night is shattered

and the blue stars shiver in the distance.
What is the figure of speech used in the lines above?
A. Metaphor C. Hyperbole
B. Personification D. Irony
19. What among the following is the best theme of the story “A Rose for Emily?”
A. Necrophilia C. Mental Illness
B. Love D. All of the above
20. What kind of Love does the persona and Anabelle Lee share with each other?
A. They are childhood lovers. C. Their love was challenged.
B. They have an everlasting love. D. All of the above

CHAPTER 3: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON FAMILIAL LOVE
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• The Gift of the Magi (O’ Henry)
• The Last Leaf (O’ Henry)
• The Flight of Icarus (Greek Mythology)
• Metamorphosis (Franz Kafkha)
• The Aged Mother (Japanese Folktale)
UNIT 1: The Gift of the Magi
Author’s Background: O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter. The story first
appeared in The New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905 and was later published in O.
Henry's collection The Four Million on April 10, 1906.
SUMMARY OF THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

O’ Henry
The story opens with $1.87. That's all Della Dillingham Young has to buy a present for her
beloved husband, Jim. And the next day is Christmas. Faced with such a situation, Della
promptly bursts into tears on the couch, which gives the narrator the opportunity to tell us a bit
more about the situation of Jim and Della. The short of it is they live in a shabby flat and they're
poor. But they love each other.
Once Della's recovered herself, she goes to a mirror to let down her hair and examine it. Della's
beautiful, brown, knee-length hair is one of the two great treasures of the poor couple. The other
is Jim's gold watch. Her hair examined, Della puts it back up, sheds a tear, and bundles up to
head out into the cold. She leaves the flat and walks to Madame Sofronie's hair goods shop,
where she sells her hair for twenty bucks. Now she has $21.87 cents.
With her new funds, Della is able to find Jim the perfect present: an elegant platinum watch
chain for his watch. It's $21, and she buys it. Excited by her gift, Della returns home and tries to
make her now-short hair presentable (with a curling iron). She's not convinced Jim will approve,
but she did what she had to do to get him a good present. When she finishes with her hair, she
gets to work preparing coffee and dinner.
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces on Familial Love 24

Jim arrives at 7pm to find Della waiting by the door and stares fixedly at her, not able to
understand that Della's hair is gone. Della can't understand quite what his reaction means.
After a little while, Jim snaps out of it and gives Della her present, explaining that his reaction
will make sense when she opens it. Della opens it and cries out in joy, only to burst into tears
immediately afterward. Jim has given her the set of fancy combs she's wanted for ages, only
now she has no hair for them. Jim nurses Della out of her sobs. Once she's recovered she gives
Jim his present, holding out the watch chain. Jim smiles, falling back on the couch. He sold his
watch to buy Della's combs, he explains. He recommends they put away their presents and
have dinner. As they do so, the narrator brings the story to a close by pronouncing that Della
and Jim are the wisest of everyone who gives gifts. They are the magi.
Exercise:
1. Who are the two main characters in the story? Describe each.
2. Why do you think is it title the Gift of the Magi?
3. Identify the plot of the story by following the diagram below:
4. What is the theme of the story? Explain briefly.

5. What lesson about family did you learn from the story?
UNIT 2: LAST LEAF
Author’s Background: O. Henry, pseudonym of William Sydney Porter, original name William
Sidney Porter, (born September 11, 1862, Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.—died June 5,
1910, New York, New York), American short-story writer whose tales romanticized the
commonplace—in particular the life of ordinary people in New York City. His stories expressed
the effect of coincidence on character through humour, grim or ironic, and often had surprise
endings, a device that became identified with his name and cost him critical favour when its vogue
had passed.
SUMMARY OF THE LAST LEAF

O’ Henry
Living in early 20th century Greenwich Village are two young women artists, Sue and Johnsy
(familiar for Joanna). They met in May, six months previously, and decided to share a studio
apartment. Stalking their artist colony in November is "Mr. Pneumonia." The story begins as
Johnsy, near death from pneumonia, lies in bed waiting for the last leaf of an ivy vine on the brick
wall she spies through her window to fall.
"I’m tired of thinking," says Johnsy. "I want to turn loose my hold on everything, and go sailing
down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves"(16). However, an unexpected hero arrives
to save Johnsy. It’s not the brusque doctor who gives her only one in ten chances to survive,
raising them to one in five if Sue can get her to hope for something important like a man, not her
true desire to "paint the Bay of Naples some day" (14).
Mr. Behrman, an old man who lives in the apartment below Sue and Johnsy, who enjoys drinking,
works sometimes as an artist’s model, and as yet has made no progress over the past 40 years
on painting his own masterpiece, becomes in typical O. Henry fashion the hero. The evidence of
his heroics are found the day before he dies from pneumonia: outside Johnsy’s window are a
ladder, a lantern still lighted "some scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colors
mixed on it . . . it’s Behrman’s masterpiece--he painted it [a leaf] there the night that the last leaf
fell"(19), Sue informs Johnsy.
Exercise:
Answer the questions on your portfolio.
.
3. What is the interesting twist of the story?
5. What lesson about friendship did you learn from the story?
UNIT 3: THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS
Summary of The Flight of Icarus

From Greek Mythology
The story of Icarus is one of those legends of Greek mythology that fascinates audiences
especially because of the character’s desire to go beyond human boundaries as well as for the
tragic consequences this brought about.
The myth of Daedalus and Icarus tells the story of a father and a son who used wings to escape
from the island of Crete. Icarus has become better-known as the flyer who fell from the sky when
the wax that joined his wings was melted by the heat of the sun.
The legend of the mythological Icarus is closely related to a number of other narrations centered
on Crete, the place where Dedalus worked as a craftsman and built a maze to keep the
feared Minotaur under control.
Daedalus used to work as an artisan in Athens, together with a skillful apprentice named Talus.
In a moment of rage and jealousy, Daedalus pushed Talus off the rock of the Acropolis but was

unable to kill him. Goddess Athena turned the apprentice into a bird and Dedalus, charged with
murder, was forced to seek refuge on Crete.
Once on the island of the Minotaur, Dedalus started a new life working in the palace of King Minos.
He married Naucrate, a slave, who gave birth to Icarus.
Under King Minos’ orders, Daedalus was asked to build a space able to contain the Minotaur. But
instead of coming up with a prison cell, Dedalous decided that a complex labyrinth would be the
best place to hide the monster. It was such a perfect construction that those entering the maze
were never able to leave.
However, the existence of a Minotaur was secret to most of the inhabitants of the island and
wanting the monster to remain so, the king locked up Daedalus and his family so that the secret
would never be revealed.
Cunningly, Dedalus elaborated an idea to escape that did not require going through land or sea.
The only possible way that they could leave the island would have been to be able to fly. Thus,
Dedalus started gathering feathers from birds which later transformed into wings stuck together
with wax. One pair of wings was going to be for him and the other for Icarus, his son.
When the moment to escape arrived, Dedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, but
he did not listen to his father and fell into the sea when, after getting to close to the sun, the wax
in his wings melted and fell apart.
Exercise:
.
5. What lesson about parent-children relationship did you learn from the story?
UNIT 4: THE METAMORPHOSIS
Author’s Background: Born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, capital of what is now the Czech
Republic, writer Franz Kafka grew up in an upper middle-class Jewish family. After studying law
at the University of Prague, he worked in insurance and wrote in the evenings. In 1923, he moved
to Berlin to focus on writing, but died of tuberculosis shortly after. His friend Max Brod published
most of his work posthumously, such as Amerika and The Castle. Author Franz Kafka explored
the human struggle for understanding and security in his novels such as Amerika, The Trial and
The Castle.

SUMMARY OF THE METAMORPHOSIS
Franz Kafkha
Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman, wakes up one morning and discovers that he's transformed
into a giant cockroach (or some similar oversized, insect-like vermin). He realizes he's missed his
train, and gets acquainted with his awkward new body as he worries about his stressful salesman
job. His mother, father, and sister Grete realize something's amiss and knock at his door, but he
finds he can't produce human speech and also can't open the door. His boss, the Chief Clerk,
arrives, and scolds him for his tardiness and strange behavior, even suggesting that his job might
be in danger. Gregor finally opens his door with difficulty and gives the Chief Clerk a long speech
about his dutifulness to his job. But no one understands the speech, his family is shocked at his
appearance, and the Chief Clerk runs away. Gregor injures himself when he squeezes back
through the doorway into his bedroom.
Gregor finds that Grete has brought him some fresh food, which doesn't appeal to him. Gregor
resolves to help his family deal with the trouble he's causing them with his metamorphosis. The
following morning Grete brings Gregor rotting food, and he eats hungrily. Gregor overhears the
family talking about their finances and determining that they will have to go back to work, now that
he can no longer provide for them. Gregor feels upset and sorry that he can't support them
anymore. About a month passes, with Grete taking care of Gregor less and less attentively. One
day Grete sees Gregor out of his hiding place and is disturbed. Another month passes, then
Gregor's mother wants to come help Grete and support Gregor. Grete and the mother plan to
move Gregor's old furniture out so he can crawl more freely, but Gregor decides that he wants to
keep his furniture, which links him to his humanity. He climbs the wall and places himself over
his print of the lady with the muff, which shocks his mother when she returns to the room, causing
her to faint. Gregor's father returns home and finds Gregor panicking in the dining room. Gregor's
father pelts Gregor with apples, one of which severely injures him.
Another month passes while Gregor recovers from his injury. His family members are exhausted
from working, and Gregor feels neglected. The family takes on three lodgers for additional income,
and Gregor feels even more ignored. One night Grete plays her violin for the lodgers. Though the
lodgers seem bored, Gregor is profoundly affected, and crawls out of his room, enjoying the
beautiful music and optimistic that he'll be able to help his family and become close to Grete
again. The lodgers notice Gregor with disgust and decide that they'll leave and not even pay for
the time they'd stayed so far. Grete tells her mother and father that the cockroach, which she can't
even believe is Gregor, has ruined their lives. Gregor feebly returns to his room, thinks of his
family with love, and dies. The charwoman who cleans the house discovers his body the next
morning. Grete, her mother and father decide to take off work. They go to the countryside by tram,
and talk happily about future plans, and finding a new apartment. Gregor's mother and father
realize that it is time to find a husband for Grete.
Exercise:
1. Who are the main characters in the story? Describe each.

UNIT 5: THE AGED MOTHER
Background of the Story: Also known as The Story of the Aged Mother, this Japanese folktale
tells the story of an unkind ruler who issues cruel orders, including one demand that all old folks
are to be abandoned and left to die. Basho tells a poignant story about a mother and her son and
their love for one another.
SUMMARY OF THE AGED MOTHER

Matsuo Basho
Long, long ago there lived at the foot of the mountain a poor farmer and his aged, widowed
mother. They owned a bit of land which supplied them with food, and they were humble, peaceful,
and happy.
Shining was governed by a despotic leader who though a warrior, had a great and cowardly
shrinking from anything suggestive of failing health and strength. This caused him to send out a
cruel proclamation. The entire province was given strict orders to immediately put to death all
aged people. Those were barbarous days, and the custom of abandoning old people to die was
not uncommon. The poor farmer loved his aged mother with tender reverence, and the order filled
his heart with sorrow. But no one ever thought twice about obeying the mandate of the governor,
so with many deep and hopeless sighs, the youth prepared for what at that time was considered
the kindest mode of death.
Just at sundown, when his day’s work was ended, he took a quantity of unwhitened rice which
was the principal food for the poor, and he cooked, dried it, and tied it in a square cloth, which he
swung in a bundle around his neck along with a gourd filled with cool, sweet water. Then he lifted
his helpless old mother to his back and started on his painful journey up the mountain. The road
was long and steep; the narrow road was crossed and re-crossed by many paths made by the
hunters and woodcutters. In some place, they lost and confuse, but he gave no heed. One path
or another, it mattered not. On he went, climbing blindly upward -- ever upward towards the high
bare summit of what is known as Obatsuyama, the mountain of the “abandoning of the aged.”
The eyes of the old mother were not so dim but that they noted the reckless hastening from one
path to another, and her loving heart grew anxious. Her son did not know the mountain’s many
paths and his return might be one of danger, so she stretched forth her hand and snapping the
twigs from brushes as they passed, she quietly dropped a handful every few steps of the way so
that as they climbed, the narrow path behind them was dotted at frequent intervals with tiny piles
of twigs. At last the summit was reached. Weary and heart sick, the youth gently released his
burden and silently prepared a place of comfort as his last duty to the loved one. Gathering fallen
pine needles, he made a soft cushion and tenderly lifted his old mother onto it. Hew rapped her
padded coat more closely about the stooping shoulders and with tearful eyes and an aching heart
he said farewell.
The trembling mother’s voice was full of unselfish love as she gave her last injunction. “Let not
thine eyes be blinded, my son.” She said. “The mountain road is full of dangers. LOOK carefully

and follow the path which holds the piles of twigs. They will guide you to the familiar path farther
down.” The son’s surprised eyes looked back over the path, then at the poor old, shriveled hands
all scratched and soiled by their work of love. His heart broke within and bowing to the ground, he
cried aloud: “oh, Honorable mother, your kindness breaks my heart! I will not leave you. Together
we will follow the path of twigs, and together we will die!”
Once more he shouldered his burden (how light it seemed now) and hastened down the path,
through the shadows and the moonlight, to the little hut in the valley. Beneath the kitchen floor
was a walled closet for food, which was covered and hidden from view. There the son hid his
mother, supplying her with everything she needed, continually watching and fearing she would be
discovered. Time passed, and he was beginning to feel safe when again the governor sent forth
heralds bearing an unreasonable order, seemingly as a boast of his power. His demand was that
his subjects should present him with a rope of ashes.
The entire province trembled with dread. The order must be obeyed yet who in all Shining could
make a rope of ashes? One night, in great distress, the son whispered the news to his hidden
mother. “Wait!” she said. “I will think. I will think” On the second day she told him what to do.
“Make rope of twisted straw,” she said. “Then stretch it upon a row of flat stones and burn it on a
windless night.” He called the people together and did as she said and when the blaze died down,
there upon the stones, with every twist and fiber showing perfectly, lay a rope of ashes.
The governor was pleased at the wit of the youth and praised greatly, but he demanded to know
where he had obtained his wisdom. “Alas! Alas!” cried the farmer, “the truth must be told!” and
with deep bows he related his story. The governor listened and then meditated in silence. Finally
he lifted his head. “Shining needs more than strength of youth,” he said gravely. “Ah, that I should
have forgotten the well-known saying, “with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom!” That very
hour the cruel law was abolished, and custom drifted into as far a past that only legends remain.
Exercise:
1. Who are the 2 main characters in the story? Describe each.

.
3. Describe the setting (when and where) of the story.
4. Explain the line “With the crown of snow, there comes wisdom.”

Assessment:
1. What is the masterpiece of Mr. Berhman in the story “The Last Leaf”?
A. A painting of the unfallen leaf
B. A sculpture of a tree with an unfallen leaf
C. A photograph of a tree with an unfallen leaf
D. video of a tree with an unfallen leaf
2. The title of the piece Metamorphosis fits __________.

A. The main character for physically changing into an insect.
B. The family of the main character for changing their ways because of what happened to Gregor.
C. The boss of the main character for changing their ways because of what happened to Gregor.
D. All of the above
3. What can be learned from the story of Icarus?

A. valuing obedience C. valuing the generosity of others
B. valuing kindness D. All of the above
4. What is among the following is the leading theme of the story “The Last Leaf?”
A. Arts C. Sacrifice
B. Love D. Hopelessness
5. What is the conflict of the literary piece titled The Aged Mother?
A. Man Vs. Man B. Man Vs. Society
B. Man Vs. Himself D. Man Vs. Nature
6. What among the following does not describe the couple in the story “The Gift of the Magi”?
A. They love each other.
B. They can sacrifice for each other.
C. They are poor.
D. They are fools because they sold their treasures.
7. The moment you are ready to quit is usually the moment right before a miracle happens.
Do not give up.
The lines above best relate to the character of ___________.
A. Della C. The Aged Mother
B. Johnsy D. Gregor
8. His eyes seem so glazed

As he flies on the wings of a dream,
Now he knows his father betrayed
Now his wings turn to ashes to ashes his grave.
Who is described in the lines above?
A. Johnsy C. Icarus
B. Jim and Della D. Gregor
9. Trust yourself. You have survived a lot, and you’ll survive whatever is coming.

The line above best relates to the story…
A. Aged Mother C. The Last Leaf
B. Metamorphosis D. The Gift of the Magi
10. What is the conflict of the literary piece titled Metamorphosis?

A. Man Vs. Man C. Man Vs. Society
B. Man Vs. Himself D. Man Vs. Nature
11. The Aged Mother is an example ______________.

A. short story C. Parable
B. Legend D. Folktale
12. Who is the author who got famous for writing pieces pertaining to the human struggles?
A. William Porter C. Matsuo Basho
B. Franz Kafkha D. None of the above
13. What describes the setting of the piece-The Flight of Icarus?

a. The story took place in Athens.
b. The place is led by a kindhearted King who helped Daedalus.
c. Daedalus was born and raise in the said place.
d. Daedalus was kept and used by the King of the place.
14. Who is the author known for surprise endings?

A. Franz Kafkha C. William Porter
B. Matsuo Basho D. None of the above
15. With the crown of snow, there comes wisdom.

The line above means ______________.
A. Old age brings wisdom. C. Age is but a number.
B. Experience brings wisdom. D. All of the above

CHAPTER 4: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON HEROES AND ADVENTURES
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• Beowulf
• Gilgamesh
• Song of Roland
UNIT 1: BEOWULF
Background of the Text: Beowulf is the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest Old
English poem; it was likely composed between 700 and 750. Other great works of Old
English poetry include The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Battle of Maldon, and The Dream of the
Rood. This poetry is alliterative; one of its features is the kenning, a metaphorical phrase used in
place of a common noun (e.g., “swan road” for “sea”). Two known poets from this period
are Caedmon, considered the first Old English Christian poet, and Cynewulf. Old English poetry
has survived almost entirely in four manuscripts: the Exeter Book, the Junius Manuscript,
the Vercelli Book, and the Beowulf manuscript.
Note: Alliterative verse, early verse of the Germanic languages in which alliteration, the repetition
of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or stressed syllables, is a basic structural principle
rather than an occasional embellishment. The Germanic alliterative line consists of two
hemistiches (half lines) separated by a caesura (pause). There are one or two alliterating letters
in the first half line preceding the medial caesura; these also alliterate with the first
stressed syllable in the second half line. Alliteration falls on accented syllables; unaccented
syllables are not effective, even if they begin with the alliterating letter.
Example: 'Heorot trembled, wonderfully built to withstand the blows, the struggling great bodies
beating at its beautiful walls. . .'
In this example, the repetition of the 'b' would have resounded throughout the hall like the beat
of a drum, and it would have signaled to all that a great battle was taking place.
Reminder: The faculty assigned used the summarized version instead of the poetry.
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Heroes and Adventures 33

SUMMARY OF BEOWULF
Beowulf falls into two parts. It opens in Denmark, where King Hrothgar’s splendid mead hall,
Heorot, has been ravaged for 12 years by nightly visits from an evil monster, Grendel, who carries
off Hrothgar’s warriors and devours them. Unexpectedly, young Beowulf, a prince of the Geats of
southern Sweden, arrives with a small band of retainers and offers to cleanse Heorot of its
monster. Hrothgar is astonished at the little-known hero’s daring but welcomes him, and, after an
evening of feasting, much courtesy, and some discourtesy, the king retires, leaving Beowulf in
charge. During the night Grendel comes from the moors, tears open the heavy doors, and devours
one of the sleeping Geats. He then grapples with Beowulf, whose powerful grip he cannot escape.
He wrenches himself free, tearing off his arm, and leaves, mortally wounded.
The next day is one of rejoicing in Heorot. But at night as the warriors sleep, Grendel’s mother
comes to avenge her son, killing one of Hrothgar’s men. In the morning Beowulf seeks her out in
her cave at the bottom of a mere and kills her. He cuts the head from Grendel’s corpse and returns
to Heorot. The Danes rejoice once more. Hrothgar makes a farewell speech about the character
of the true hero, as Beowulf, enriched with honours and princely gifts, returns home to King
Hygelac of the Geats.
The second part passes rapidly over King Hygelac’s subsequent death in a battle (of historical
record), the death of his son, and Beowulf’s succession to the kingship and his peaceful rule of
50 years. But now a fire-breathing dragon ravages his land and the doughty but aging Beowulf
engages it. The fight is long and terrible and a painful contrast to the battles of his youth. Painful,
too, is the desertion of his retainers except for his young kinsman Wiglaf. Beowulf kills the dragon
but is mortally wounded. The poem ends with his funeral rites and a lament.
Exercise:
Make a story map (the map is explained below) of the story.

UNIT 2: THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
Background of the Text: The Epic of Gilgamesh” is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia
and among the earliest known literary writings in the world. It originated as a series of Sumerian
legends and poems in cuneiform script dating back to the early 3rd or late 2nd millenium BCE,
which were later gathered into a longer Akkadian poem (the most complete version existing today,
preserved on 12 clay tablets, dates from the 12th to 10th Century BCE). The gaps that occur in
the tablets have been partly filled by various fragments found elsewhere in Mesopotamia and
Anatolia. In addition, five short poems in the Sumerian language are known from tablets that were
written during the first half of the 2nd millennium BCE; the poems have been titled “Gilgamesh
and Huwawa,” “Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven,” “Gilgamesh and Agga of Kish,” “Gilgamesh,
Enkidu, and the Netherworld,” and “The Death of Gilgamesh.”
Note: The word epic is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective, “epikos”, which means a poetic
story. In literature, an epic is a long narrative poem, which is usually related to heroic deeds of a
person of an unusual courage and unparalleled bravery
Reminder: The faculty assigned used the summarized version instead of the poetry.
SUMMARY OF THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

It follows the story of Gilgamesh, the mythological hero-king of Uruk, and his half-wild
friend, Enkidu, as they undertake a series of dangerous quests and adventures, and
then Gilgamesh’s search for the secret of immortality after the death of his friend. It also includes
the story of a great flood very similar to the story of Noah in “The Bible” and elsewhere.
The story begins with the introduction of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, two-thirds god and one-third
human, blessed by the gods with strength, courage and beauty, and the strongest and greatest
king who ever existed. The great city of Uruk is also praised for its glory and its strong brick
walls.
However, the people of Uruk are not happy, and complain that Gilgamesh is too harsh and
abuses his power by sleeping with their women. The goddess of creation, Aruru, creates a mighty
wild-man named Enkidu, a rival in strength to Gilgamesh. He lives a natural life with the wild
animals, but he soon starts bothering the shepherds and trappers of the area and jostles the
animals at the watering hole. At the request of a trapper, Gilgamesh sends a temple prostitute,
Shamhat, to seduce and tame Enkidu and, after six days and seven nights with the harlot, he
is no longer just a wild beast who lives with animals. He soon learns the ways of men and is
shunned by the animals he used to live with, and the harlot eventually persuades him to come to
live in the city. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh has some strange dreams, which his mother, Ninsun,
explains as an indication that a mighty friend will come to him.
The newly-civilized Enkidu leaves the wilderness with his consort for the city of Uruk, where he
learns to help the local shepherds and trappers in their work. One day, when Gilgamesh himself
comes to a wedding party to sleep with the bride, as is his custom, he finds his way blocked by
the mighty Enkidu, who opposes Gilgamesh‘s ego, his treatment of women and the defamation
of the sacred bonds of marriage. Enkidu and Gilgamesh fight each other and, after a mighty
battle, Gilgamesh defeats Enkidu, but breaks off from the fight and spares his life. He also begins

to heed what Enkidu has said, and to learn the virtues of mercy and humility, along with courage
and nobility. Both Gilgamesh and Enkidu are transformed for the better through their new-found
friendship and have many lessons to learn from each other. In time, they begin to see each other
as brothers and become inseparable.
Years later, bored with the peaceful life in Uruk and wanting to make an everlasting name for
himself, Gilgamesh proposes to travel to the sacred Cedar Forest to cut some great trees and kill
the guardian, the demon Humbaba. Enkidu objects to the plan as the Cedar Forest is the sacred
realm of the gods and not meant for mortals, but neither Enkidu not the council of elders of Uruk
can convince Gilgamesh not to go. Gilgamesh’s mother also complains about the quest, but
eventually gives in and asks the sun-god Shamash for his support. She also gives Enkidu some
advice and adopts him as her second son.
On the way to the Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh has some bad dreams, but each
time Enkidu manages to explain away the dreams as good omens, and he encourages and
urges Gilgamesh on when he becomes afraid again on reaching the forest. Finally, the two heroes
confront Humbaba, the demon-ogre guardian of the sacred trees, and a great battle
commences. Gilgamesh offers the monster his own sisters as wives and concubines in order to
distract it into giving away his seven layers of armour, and finally, with the help of the winds sent
by the sun-god Shamash, Humbaba is defeated. The monster begs Gilgamesh for his life,
and Gilgamesh at first pities the creature, despite Enkidu’s practical advice to kill the beast.
Humbaba then curses them both, and Gilgamesh finally puts an end to it. The two heroes cut
down a huge cedar tree, and Enkidu uses it to make a massive door for the gods, which he floats
down the river.
Some time later, the goddess Ishtar (goddess of love and war, and daughter of the sky-god Anu)
makes sexual advances to Gilgamesh, but he rejects her, because of her mistreatment of her
previous lovers. The offended Ishtar insists that her father send the “Bull of Heaven” to
avenge Gilgamesh’s rejection, threatening to raise the dead if he will not comply. The beast brings
with it a great drought and plague of the land, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu, this time without divine
help, slay the beast and offer its heart to Shamash, throwing the bull’s hindquarters in the face of
the outraged Ishtar.
The city of Uruk celebrates the great victory, but Enkidu has a bad dream in which the gods decide
to punish Enkidu himself for the killing of the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba. He curses the door
he made for the gods, and he curses the trapper he met, the harlot he loved and the very day that
he became human. However, he regrets his curses when Shamash speaks from heaven and
points out how unfair Enkidu is being. He also points out that Gilgamesh will become but a shadow
of his former self if Enkidu were to die. Nevertheless, the curse takes hold and day after
day Enkidu becomes more and more ill. As he dies, he describes his descent into the horrific dark
Underworld (the “House of Dust”), where the dead wear feathers like birds and eat clay.
Gilgamesh is devasted by Enkidu’s death and offers gifts to the gods, in the hope that he might
be allowed to walk beside Enkidu in the Underworld. He orders the people of Uruk, from the lowest
farmer to the highest temple priests, to also mourn Enkidu, and orders statues of Enkidu to be
built. Gilgamesh is so full of grief and sorrow over his friend that he refuses to leave Enkidu‘s side,
or allow his corpse to be buried, until six days and seven nights after his death when maggots
begin to fall from his body.

Gilgamesh is determined to avoid Enkidu‘s fate and decides to make the perilous journey to visit
Utnapishtim and his wife, the only humans to have survived the Great Flood and who were
granted immortality by the gods, in the hope of discovering the secret of everlasting life. The
ageless Utnapishtim and his wife now reside in a beautiful country in another world, Dilmun,
and Gilgamesh travels far to the east in search of them, crossing great rivers and oceans and
mountain passes, and grappling and slaying monstrous mountain lions, bears and other beasts.
Eventually, he comes to the twin peaks of Mount Mashu at the end of the earth, from where the
sun rises from the other world, the gate of which is guarded by two terrible scorpion-beings. They
allow Gilgamesh to proceed when he convinces them of his divinity and his desperation, and he
travels for twelve leagues through the dark tunnel where the sun travels every night. The world at
the end of the tunnel is a bright wonderland, full of trees with leaves of jewels.
The first person Gilgamesh meets there is the wine-maker Siduri, who initially believes he is a
murderer from his dishevelled appearance and attempts to dissuade him from his quest. But
eventually she sends him to Urshanabi, the ferryman who must help him cross the sea to the
island where Utnapishtim lives, navigating the Waters of Death, of which the slightest touch
means instant death.
When he meets Urshanabi, though, he appears to be surrounded by a company of stone-giants,

which Gilgamesh promptly kills, thinking them to be hostile. He tells the ferryman his story and
asks for his help, but Urshanabi explains that he has just destroyed the sacred stones which allow
the ferry boat to safely cross the Waters of Death. The only way they can now cross is
if Gilgamesh cuts 120 trees and fashions them into punting poles, so that they can cross the
waters by using a new pole each time and by using his garment as a sail.
Finally, they reach the island of Dilmun and, when Utnapishtim sees that there is someone else
in the boat, he asks Gilgamesh who he is. Gilgamesh tells him his story and asks for help, but
Utnapishtim reprimands him because he knows that fighting the fate of humans is futile and ruins
the joy in life. Gilgamesh demands of Utnapishtim in what way their two situations differ and
Utnapishtim tells him the story of how he survived the great flood.
Utnapishtim recounts how a great storm and flood was brought to the world by the god Enlil, who
wanted to destroy all of mankind for the noise and confusion they brought to the world. But the
god Ea forewarned Utnapishtim, advising him to build a ship in readiness and to load onto it his
treasures, his family and the seeds of all living things. The rains came as promised and the whole
world was covered with water, killing everything except Utnapishtim and his boat. The boat came
to rest on the tip of the mountain of Nisir, where they waited for the waters to subside, releasing
first a dove, then a swallow and then a raven to check for dry land. Utnapishtim then made
sacrifices and libations to the gods and, although Enlil was angry that someone had survived his
flood, Ea advised him to make his peace. So, Enlil blessed Utnapishtim and his wife and granted
them everlasting life, and took them to live in the land of the gods on the island of Dilmun.
However, despite his reservations about why the gods should give him the same honour as
himself, the hero of the flood, Utnapishtim does reluctantly decide to offer Gilgamesh a chance
for immortality. First, though, he challenges Gilgamesh to stay awake for six days and seven
nights, but Gilgamesh falls asleep almost before Utnapishtim finishes speaking. When he awakes
after seven days of sleep, Utnapishtim ridicules his failure and sends him back to Uruk, along with
the ferryman Urshanabi in exile.

As they leave, though, Utnapishtim’s wife asks her husband to have mercy on Gilgamesh for his
long journey, and so he tells Gilgamesh of a plant that grows at the very bottom of the ocean that
will make him young again. Gilgamesh obtains the plant by binding stones to his feet to allow him
to walk on the bottom of the sea. He plans to use the flower to rejuvenate the old men of the city
of Uruk and then to use it himself. Unfortunately, he places the plant on the shore of a lake while
he bathes, and it is stolen by a serpent, which loses its old skin and is thus
reborn. Gilgamesh weeps at having failed at both opportunities to obtain immortality, and he
disconsolately returns to the massive walls of his own city of Uruk.
In time, Gilgamesh too dies, and the people of Uruk mourn his passing, knowing that they will
never see his like again.
The twelfth tablet is apparently unconnected with previous ones, and tells an alternative legend
from earlier in the story, when Enkidu is still alive. Gilgamesh complains to Enkidu that he has lost
some objects given to him by the goddess Ishtar when they fell in the Underworld. Enkidu offers
to bring them back for him, and the delighted Gilgamesh tells Enkidu what he must, and must not,
do in the Underworld in order to be sure of coming back.
When Enkidu sets off, however, he promptly forgets all this advice, and does everything he was
told not to do, resulting in his being trapped in the Underworld. Gilgamesh prays to the gods to
return his friend and, although Enlil and Suen do not even bother to reply, Ea and Shamash decide
to help. Shamash cracks a hole in the earth and Enkidu jumps out of it (whether as a ghost or in
reality is not clear). Gilgamesh questions Enkidu about what he has seen in the Underworld.
Exercise:
Make a story map (the map is explained below) of the story.

Assessment:
1. What is the oldest Anglo-American epic?

a. Beowulf b. Gilgamesh
2. which epic reflects the pagan belief?

3. Which literary piece is said to reflect the Bible?

4. Which is considered as the oldest literary piece in the world?

5. Which does not describe an Epic?

a. It is narrative in nature. c. It is in poetry form.
b. It is intended to be sung. d. None of the above
6. Which among the following is an example of Alliteration?

a. Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
b. She sells seashells by the seashore.
c. Black bug bit a big black bear.
d. All of the above
7. What is Beowulf about?

a. Adventures of Beowulf against evil.
b. Adventures of Beowulf against injustice.
c. Adventures of Beowulf against ignorance
d. All of the above
8. What is the main conflict in the narration of the adventures of Beowulf?

a. Man Vs. Man c. Man Vs. Fate
b. Man Vs. Society d. Man Vs. Himself
9. Which among the following is represented by Grendel in the story?

a. Evil c. Greed
b. Ignorance d. All of the above
10. How did the story of Beowulf end?

a. He died.
b. He passed the crown to his loyal soldier.
c. He killed the dragon.
d. All of the above
11. Why is the sin that king Uruk is known for committing?
a. Pride c. Wrath
b. Greed d. Lust
12. What is at first the most important difference between Enkidu and Uruk?
a. the way they treat women c. their status
b. their power and strength d. None of the above
13. What motivated Uruk to pursue immortality?

a. his greed c. his woman
b. the death of his friend d. his will to serve as the king
14. What is the ending of the adventures of Uruk?

a. He died. c. He did not achieve immortality.
b. He went to the underworld. D. All of the above
15. What is the main conflict in the narration of the adventures of Uruk?

.
CHAPTER 5: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON SOCIETY AND CONFLICTS
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• The Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
• What were they like? (Denise Levertov)
• Life in our Village (Matei Makwei)
• The Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde)
• Miss Saigon
• Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
UNIT 1: THE CANTERBURY TALES
Author’s Background: Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the Father of English Literature. He is the
outstanding English poet before Shakespeare and “the first finder of our language. He is widely
considered as the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages also known as the Dark Ages. In
1357, Geoffrey Chaucer became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster and continued
in that capacity with the British court throughout his lifetime. The Canterbury Tales became his
best known and most acclaimed work. He died October 25, 1400, in London, England, and was
the first to be buried in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.
Background of the Text: The Canterbury Tales (written c. 1388-1400 CE) is a medieval literary
work by the poet Geoffrey Chaucer (l. c. 1343-1400 CE) comprised of 24 tales related to a number
of literary genres and touching on subjects ranging from fate to God’s will to love, marriage, pride,
and death. After the opening introduction (known as The General Prologue), each tale is told by
one of the characters (eventually 32 in all) who are on pilgrimage to the shrine of
Thomas Becket in Canterbury.
In The General Prologue, the characters agree to tell two stories going to Canterbury and two
coming back to the Tabard Inn at Southwark where they started from, totaling 120 tales. If this
was Chaucer’s original plan and he never intended to deviate from it, then the piece must be
considered unfinished at only 24 tales. Some scholars claim, however, that Chaucer did finish the
work, based on the tone and subject matter of the last tale and The Retraction appended to the
manuscript.
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces on Society and Conflicts 41
SUMMARY OF THE MAN OF LAW’S TALE
In the prologue to The Man of Law's Tale, the Host notes that the morning is quickly passing. He
turns to the Man of Law and, using his best legal language, exhorts him to fulfill his contract and
acquit himself of his debt. The Man of Law protests that Chaucer has already written about all the
good stories of the world and has left nothing else to be told, and, furthermore, he is a plain spoken
man who will not use rhyme. The Man of Law introduces his tale as one he had heard from a
merchant long ago, and, therefore, his tale will be about merchants.
While in Rome, a company of Syrian merchants hear of the emperor's daughter, Dame
Constance, who is the epitome of beauty, goodness, and innocence. Upon their return to Syria,
the merchants share their adventures with the young Syrian ruler, the Sultan, who is particularly
captivated by the descriptions of Lady Constance. He decides to have Constance for a wife, and
because a Christian emperor will not form an alliance with a Muslim nation, the Sultan is baptized
— "Rather than that I lose / The Lady Constance, I will be baptized" ("Rather than I lese /
Custance, I wol be cristned") — he instructs his subjects to become Christians as well.
With the marriage arranged and her journey to begin, Constance is close to despair at leaving her
family, friends, and Rome, but being a dutiful and faithful daughter, she commends herself to the
journey, relying upon "Jesus Christ who died for our salvation, / Give me the strength of purpose
to fulfill / His wishes" ("But Crist, that starf for our redempcion / So yeve me grace his heestes to
fulfille"). Meanwhile, the Sultan's mother, who would rather die than give up her religion for the
sake of a foreign girl, arranges with her councilors to pretend to accept the new religion until the
wedding feast, at which time they will attack and slay the Christians.
At the celebration following the wedding ceremony, the evil conspirators of the Sultan's mother
sweep down on the Christians and kill them all, including the young Sultan. Lady Constance
escapes death and is placed on a well-provisioned ship and cast upon the sea. After "a year and
a day" of roaming the sea, the ship lands in the northern isle of Northumberland, where a
constable and his wife find Constance and take her in. Because Northumberland is a pagan land,
Constance keeps her faith a secret. Soon, however, the constable's wife, Hermengild, becomes
a Christian, and, when the constable observes Hermengild and Constance performing a miracle,
he becomes a Christian.
A young knight sees Constance and is filled with lustful desires. Spurned and manipulated by
Satan, the knight slits Hermengild's throat and leaves the murder weapon in Constance's bed.
The constable takes Constance before the king, Alla, who rules with a wise and firm hand. The
king sentences Constance to death but makes the knight swear on holy books that she is guilty.
The moment the knight swears to her guilt, he is stricken dead, and a voice saying that the king
has unjustly judged a disciple of Christ is heard.
Awe-stricken, the pagans convert to Christianity. Soon, King Alla and Constance fall in love and
are married. While the king is away at war, Constance gives birth to a beautiful son. But the king's
mother, Donegild, an evil and vicious woman, intercepts and replaces the message bearing the
happy news with letters of her own, saying that the king's son was born deformed. In his response,
King Alla says he will accept the child, but Donegild intercepts that message as well and writes a
false one saying that the king's will is to the have the child destroyed. Horrified, Constance sails
away with her son. Upon his return, King Alla discovers the falsified messages and, grief-stricken
at the loss of is wife and son, has Donegild executed.
In the meanwhile, the emperor of Rome, Constance's father, hearing of the tragic news of the
death of the Christians, sends an army to Syria to revenge their deaths. As the Romans return to
Rome, they spy the vessel steered by Constance. Not recognizing Constance, they take her to
Rome, but because she has lost her memory and does not recognize her homeland, she lives in
obscurity.
The grief-stricken King Alla makes a pilgrimage to Rome to seek penance. While in the company
of the noble senator, he sees a child who bears a strong resemblance to Constance. He soon
after learns of the circumstances of Constance's arrival and, going to her dwelling place,
repudiates the false messages and convinces her of his love for both her and their son. After their
joyous reunion, Constance, miraculously regaining her memory, kneels before the emperor and
confesses that she is his daughter. Alla and Constance return to Northumberland, but within a
year, Alla is dead. Constance and her son return to Rome, where the child, upon the death of his
grandfather, becomes the emperor.
After the Man of Law had finished, the Host proclaims the tale a first class story and turns to the
Priest for a tale, but the Priest is offended by the Host's swearing. The Host then refers to the
Priest in a slightly satiric tone, calling him a "Johnny" and a "Lollard." The Skipper interrupts,
saying that he has a tale to tell but that his tale won't be about philosophy. The content of this
epilogue sounds as though the next tale will therefore be the Shipman's, but Chaucer abandoned
this idea.
Exercise:
Make a Story Grammar (as explained below) based on the story above.
UNIT 2: WHAT WERE THEY LIKE?
Author’s Background: Denise Levertov was born in Ilford, Essex, England, on October 24, 1923.
During World War II, Levertov became a civilian nurse serving in London throughout the
bombings. She wrote her first book, The Double Image, while she was between the ages of
seventeen and twenty-one. The book, released in 1946, brought her recognition as one of a group
of poets dubbed the "New Romantics."
What Were They Like?

Denise Levertov
Did the people of Viet Nam

use lanterns of stone?
Did they hold ceremonies
to reverence the opening of buds?
Were they inclined to quiet laughter?
Did they use bone and ivory,
jade and silver, for ornament?
Had they an epic poem?
Did they distinguish between speech and singing?
Sir, their light hearts turned to stone.

It is not remembered whether in gardens
stone gardens illumined pleasant ways.
Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom,
but after their children were killed
there were no more buds.
Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.
A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy.
All the bones were charred.
it is not remembered. Remember,
most were peasants; their life
was in rice and bamboo.
When peaceful clouds were reflected in the paddies
and the water buffalo stepped surely along terraces,
maybe fathers told their sons old tales.
When bombs smashed those mirrors
there was time only to scream.
There is an echo yet
of their speech which was like a song.
It was reported their singing resembled
the flight of moths in moonlight.
Who can say? It is silent now.
Exercise:
1. Who are conversing in the poem? Justify your answer.
2. Using the Venn Diagram compare and contrast the pre-war and post-war Vietnam based on
the poem. Use the sides of the circles to indicate 3 differences of the Pre-war and Post-war
condition of Vietnam. Meanwhile, use the overlapping parts of the circle to indicate their
similarities.
Pos Post-war Vietnam

Pre-war Vietnam
3. Based on the poem, is war good or bad? Justify your answer.
UNIT 3: THE HAPPY PRINCE
Author’s Background: Oscar Wilde is an author, playwright and poet. He was a popular literary
figure in late Victorian England. After graduating from Oxford University, he lectured as a poet,
art critic and a leading proponent of the principles of aestheticism. Unconventional in his writing
and life, Wilde’s affair with a young man led to his arrest on charges of "gross indecency" in 1895.
He was imprisoned for two years and died in poverty three years after his release at the age of
46.
SUMMARY OF THE HAPPY PRINCE

Oscar Wilde
The fairytale begins with the description of The Prince who was on a high pole in the city. He was
beautiful and had two sapphires instead of his eyes and was covered in gold. He held a sword in
his arm and on the handle there was a ruby.
It was hard to walk next to the statue without looking at it. The statue provoked admiration because
of the happiness and beauty he was radiating. He seemed as a wish that came true.
In the meantime, swallows began their moving and a swallow fell behind and fell in love with a
Reed. It was a true love which started in spring and lasted the whole summer. Even though the
swallow was being warned that the Reed is poor he did not want to abandon him.
When he realized that the Reed wasn’t like him Swallow went far away to see the magnificent
Pyramids. After a whole day of flying, it began to be dark and the Swallow found a place to sleep.
Then he saw the statue of The Prince and settled in between his feet.
At that moment, a drop of water fell on him. It wouldn’t be a strange thing it the weather was bad,
but it wasn’t so the little swallow didn’t know where the water came from. He realized that the
statue can’t protect him he decided to fly away but then he saw the teary eyes of The Prince.
The little Swallow couldn’t quite figure out why The Happy Prince was sad and he explained to
him that he did not know about tears when he was alive. The Prince starts to talk about how he
saw in an alley a poor seamstress which was making a dress while her ill son was lying in bed.
Because they were poor the only help his mother could provide him was some water from the
river.
The Prince asked Swallow to take a ruby from his sword and give it to the poor woman. The
Swallow said yes and he stayed another night with the Prince. When he came back he confessed
that he felt the warmth and the Prince told him that it was because he did a good deed.
The next night Swallow wanted to go to Egypt but the Prince asked him to stay another night. The
Swallow told him that he should leave but then Prince told him a story about a hungry boy on an
attic. Since he did not have his ruby he told the Swallow to take a sapphire and give it to the boy
and the other one to a poor girl.
The Prince was completely blind and the Swallow could not leave him now and even though it
was getting colder and colder he stayed with the Prince and told him stories about Egypt. The
Prince asked him to fly over the town and tell him what he will see. After he came back he told
him that he saw a lot of poverty. The Prince told him to take a leaf of gold from his body and carry
it to the poor.
The Prince looked lifeless and gray and the Swallow died because of the cold. Since the statue
lost its beauty they liquated him. His lead heart was liquated so they threw it away with the
Swallow. God told his angels than to bring him their two favorite things from the city and one angel
brought him the heart and the dead bird. God told him that he did well and that the birdy will sing
while the Prince will be celebrating him.
Exercise:
UNIT 4: MISS SAIGON
Background of the Text: Miss Saigon is an epic, stunning adaptation of Puccini’s

opera, Madame Butterfly, by the writers Claude Michael Schonberg and Alain Boubil. They
reframed Puccini’s story by setting it during the Vietnam War. Miss Saigon is a musical play that
is focus on the powerful and poignant tale of love in a war-torn country. In the dangerous days
before Saigon’s fall in 1975, Chris (an American GI) and Kim (a destitute Vietnamese orphan
working her first night as a prostitute) fall in love.
SUMMARY OF MISS SAIGON
In April 1975 at "Dreamland", a sleazy Vietnamese club, shortly before the Fall of Saigon,
it is Kim's first day as a bargirl. The seventeen-year-old orphan is greeted by the Engineer,
a French-Vietnamese man who owns the club. Backstage, the girls get ready for the night's
show, jeering at Kim's naïveté ("Overture"). The U.S. Marines, aware that they will be
leaving Vietnam soon, party with the Vietnamese prostitutes at the club ("The Heat Is On
In Saigon"). Chris Scott, a sergeant disenchanted by the club scene, is encouraged by his
friend John Thomas to go with a girl. The girls compete for the title of "Miss Saigon", and
the winner is raffled to a Marine. Kim's innocence strikes Chris. Gigi Van Trahn wins the
crown for the evening and begs the marine who won the raffle to take her back to America,
annoying him. The showgirls reflect on their dreams of a better life ("Movie In My Mind").
John buys a room from the Engineer for the virgin Kim and Chris ("The Transaction"). Kim
is reluctant and shy but dances with Chris. Chris tries to pay her to leave the nightclub.
When the Engineer interferes, thinking that Chris does not like Kim, Chris allows himself
to be led to her room ("The Dance").
Chris, watching Kim sleep, asks God why he met her just as he was about to leave Vietnam
("Why God Why?"). When Kim wakes up, Chris tries to give her money, but she refuses,
saying that it is her first time sleeping with a man ("This Money's Yours"). Touched to learn
that Kim is an orphan, Chris tells her that she need not sell herself at the club, because
he wants her to stay with him. The two pledge their love for each other ("Sun and Moon").
Chris tells John that he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the
Viet Cong will soon take Saigon, but then reluctantly agrees to cover for Chris ("The
Telephone Song"). Chris meets with the Engineer to trade for Kim, but the Engineer tries
to include an America visa in the deal. Chris forces the Engineer at gunpoint to honour the
original arrangement for Kim ("The Deal").
The bargirls hold a "wedding ceremony" for Chris and Kim ("Dju Vui Vai"), with Gigi
toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. Thuy, Kim's cousin, to whom she was betrothed at
thirteen, arrives to take her home. He has become an officer in the North Vietnamese Army
and is angered to find her with Chris ("Thuy's Arrival"). The two men confront each other,
drawing their guns. Kim tells Thuy that their arranged marriage is now null because her
parents are dead, and she no longer harbours any feelings for him because of his betrayal.
Thuy curses them all and storms out ("What's This I Find"). Chris promises to take Kim
with him when he leaves Vietnam. Chris and Kim dance to the same song as on their first
night ("Last Night of The World").
Three years pass, and in Saigon (now renamed Ho Chi Minh City), a street parade is taking
place to celebrate the third anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam and the defeat of
the Americans ("Morning of The Dragon," also called "The Fall of Saigon"). Thuy, a
commissar in the new government, has ordered his soldiers to find the still -corrupt
Engineer. Thuy orders the Engineer to find Kim and bring her to him. Kim is still in love
with Chris and has been hiding in an impoverished area believing that Chris will come
back to Vietnam to rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new Americ an wife,
Ellen, when he awakens from a dream shouting Kim's name. Ellen and Kim both swear
their devotion to Chris from opposite ends of the world ("I Still Believe").
The Engineer finds Kim and brings Thuy to her. Kim refuses Thuy's renewed offer of
marriage and introduces him to Tam, her three-year-old son fathered by Chris. Thuy calls
Kim a traitor and Tam an enemy, and moves to kill Tam with a knife. Kim pulls out Chris's
gun and kills Thuy ("You Will Not Touch Him"). Kim flees with Tam ("This Is The Ho ur")
and tells the Engineer what she has done ("If You Want to Die in Bed"). The Engineer
refuses to help her until he learns that Tam's father is American ("Let Me See His Western
Nose") – thinking this is his passport to the United States. He tells Kim t hat now he is the
boy's uncle, and he will lead them to Bangkok. The three set out on a ship with other
refugees ("I'd Give My Life for You").
In Atlanta, Georgia, John now works for an aide organisation whose mission is to connect
Bui-Doi (children conceived during the war) with their American fathers ("Bui Doi"). John
tells Chris that Kim is still alive, which Chris is relieved to hear after years of having
nightmares of her dying. He also tells Chris about Tam and urges Chris to go to Bangkok
with Ellen. Chris finally tells Ellen about Kim and Tam ("The Revelation"). In Bangkok, the
Engineer is hawking a sleazy club where Kim works as a dancer ("What A Waste"). Chris,
Ellen and John arrive in search of Kim. John finds Kim dancing at the club, and tells he r
that Chris is also in Bangkok. He then tries to tell her that Chris is remarried, but Kim
interrupts. She is thrilled about the news and tells Tam that his father has arrived, believing
that they are to go to America with Chris. Seeing Kim happy, John ca nnot bring himself to
break the news to her, but promises to bring Chris to her ("Please").
The Engineer tells Kim to find Chris herself, because he doubts that Chris will come ("Chris
Is Here"). Kim is haunted by the ghost of Thuy, who taunts Kim, claimin g that Chris will
betray her as he did the night Saigon fell. Kim suffers a horrible flashback to that night
("Kim's Nightmare").
As the Viet Cong approach and Saigon becomes increasingly chaotic, Chris is called to
the embassy and leaves his gun with Kim, telling her to pack. When Chris enters the
embassy, the gates close, as orders arrive from Washington for an immediate evacuation
of the remaining Americans. The Ambassador orders that no more Vietnamese are allowed
into the Embassy. Kim reaches the gates of the Embassy, one of a mob of terrified
Vietnamese trying to get in. Chris calls to Kim and is about to go into the crowd to look for
her, but John is eventually forced to punch Chris in the face to stop him from leaving. Chris
is put into the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watches from outside, still pledging
her love to him ("The Fall of Saigon").
Back in 1978 Bangkok, Kim joyfully dresses in her wedding clothes ("Sun and Moon:
Reprise") and leaves the Engineer to watch Tam while she is gone. She goes to Chris'
hotel room, where she finds Ellen. Kim mistakenly thinks she is John's wife, but Ellen
reveals that she is Chris' wife. Kim is heartbroken and refuses to believe Ellen. Ellen asks
Kim if Chris really is the father of Tam, and Kim says he is. Kim says she does not want
her son living on the streets like a rat, but Ellen tells Kim that they will do what they can
to support him. Kim pleads to Ellen that they take Tam with them to America, but Ellen
refuses, saying that Tam needs his real mother, and Ellen wants her own children with
Chris. Kim angrily demands that Chris tell her these things in person, and runs out of the
room ("Room 317"). Ellen feels bad for Kim, but is determined to keep Chris ("It's Her or
Me"/"Now That I've Seen Her"). Chris and John return, having failed to find Kim. Ellen tells
them both that Kim arrived just now and that she was the one who had to tell Kim
everything. Chris and John blame themselves, realizing they were gone too long. Ellen
also tells them that Kim wants to see Chris at her place, and that she tried to give away
her son to them. John realizes Kim wants Tam to be "an American boy." Ellen then issues
an ultimatum to Chris: Kim or her. Chris reassures Ellen, and they pledge their love for
each other. Chris will leave Tam and Kim in Bangkok but offer them monetary support from
America. John warns that Kim will not find it acceptable to have Tam stay in Thailand ("The
Confrontation"). Back at the club, Kim lies to the Engineer that they are still going to
America ("Paper Dragons"). The Engineer imagines the extravagant new life he will lead
in America ("The American Dream"). Chris, John and Ellen find the Engineer and he takes
them to see Kim and Tam.
In her room, Kim tells Tam that he should be happy because he now has a father. She
tells him that she cannot go with him but will be watching over him ("The Sacred
Bird"/"Little God Of My Heart"/"This Is The Hour (reprise)"). Chris, Ellen, John, and the
Engineer arrive just outside her room. The Engineer comes in to take Tam outside to
introduce Tam to his father. While this is happening, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots
herself. As she falls to the floor, everyone rushes into the room at the sound of the gunshot
and find Kim mortally wounded. Chris holds Kim in his arms and asks what she has done
and why she did this, as she explains that the gods have guided him to his son. Chris begs
her not to die, as she asks him to hold her one last time. After sharing one final kiss, Kim
says her final words to Chris, echoing what he said to her from the song "Sun and Moon"
("How in one night have we come so far?") and she dies in his arms ("Finale").
Exercise:
UNIT 5: LES MISERABLES
Author’s Background: Victor Hugo was a French poet and novelist who, after training as a
lawyer, embarked on the literary career. He became one of the most important French Romantic
poets, novelists and dramatists of his time, having assembled a massive body of work while living
in Paris, Brussels and the Channel Islands. Hugo died on May 22, 1885, in Paris.
Background of the Text: Les Miserables is a French historical novel which is considered as one
of the greatest in the 19th century.
SUMMARY OF LES MISERABLES

Victor Hugo
Jean Valjean, after spending nineteen years in jail and in the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread
and for several attempts to escape, is finally released, but his past keeps haunting him. At Digne,
he is repeatedly refused shelter for the night. Only the saintly bishop, Monseigneur Myriel,
welcomes him. Valjean repays his host's hospitality by stealing his silverware. When the police
bring him back, the bishop protects his errant guest by pretending that the silverware is a gift.
With a pious lie, he convinces them that the convict has promised to reform. After one more theft,
Jean Valjean does indeed repent. Under the name of M. Madeleine he starts a factory and brings
prosperity to the town of Montreuil.
Next, Hugo introduces the pathetic young girl Fantine. Alone and burdened with an illegitimate
child, she is on the way back to her hometown of Montreuil, to find a job. On the road, she entrusts
her daughter to an innkeeper and his wife, the Thénardiers.
In Montreuil, Fantine finds a job in Madeleine's factory and attains a modicum of prosperity.
Unfortunately she is fired and, at the same time, must meet increasing financial demands by the
Thénardiers. Defeated by her difficulties, Fantine turns to prostitution. Tormented by a local idler,
she causes a disturbance and is arrested by Inspector Javert. Only Madeleine's forceful
intervention keeps her out of jail. She catches a fever, however, and her health deteriorates
dangerously. Death is imminent and M. Madeleine promises to bring her daughter, Cosette, to
her.
Madeleine, however, is faced with serious problems. A man has been arrested as Jean Valjean
and is about to be condemned for his crimes. After a night of agonizing moral conflict, Madeleine
decides to confess his past. At Arras, the seat of the trial, he dramatically exonerates the accused.
A few days later, he is arrested by Javert at Fantine's bedside. The shocking scene kills the young
woman.
That same night Valjean escapes, but he is quickly recaptured and sent to Toulon, a military port.
One day he saves a sailor about to fall from the rigging. He plunges into the sea and manages to
escape by establishing the belief that he has drowned. He uses his precarious freedom to go to
Montfermeil, the location of the Thénardiers' inn. After burying his money in the woods, he frees
Cosette from the Thénardiers' abominable guardianship and takes her into the protective
anonymity of Paris.
In Paris, he lives like a recluse in a dilapidated tenement, the Gorbeau House, in an outlying
district. In spite of his precautions, however, Javert manages to track him down. Valjean is forced
to flee abruptly. After a hectic chase and imminent capture, he finds a miraculous refuge in a
convent. With the cooperation of the gardener, Fauchelevent, a man whose life he has saved in
the past, Valjean persuades the prioress to take him on as assistant gardener and to enroll
Cosette as a pupil. Valjean and Cosette spend several happy years in the isolation of the convent.
Hugo now turns to another leading character, Marius. Marius is a seventeen-year-old who lives
with his grandfather, M. Gillenormand, a relic of the Old Regime. In a nearby town, Georges
Pontmercy, Marius' father, a hero of the Napoleonic wars, lives in retirement. M. Gillenormand,
by threatening to disinherit Marius, has forced Georges Pontmercy to relinquish custody of his
son. He has completed the estrangement by communicating his aversion for Pontmercy to Marius.
Consequently, the young man reacts almost impassively to his father's death. A fortuitous
conversation reveals to Marius the depths of his father's love for him, and indignant at his
grandfather's deception, he leaves home.
He takes refuge in the Latin Quarter and falls in with a group of radical students, the Friends of
the A.B.C. Marius, who under his father's posthumous influence has just switched his allegiance
from the monarchy to Napoleon, falls into a state of intellectual bewilderment. Material difficulties
increase his unhappiness. Finally he manages to create a tolerable existence by finding a modest
job, living frugally, and withdrawing into his inner dreams.
His peace is shattered when he falls passionately in love with a beautiful young girl in the
Luxembourg Gardens. She is Jean Valjean's ward, Cosette. Too timid for bold actions, he courts
her silently. A fatal indiscretion ruins his nascent love affair. He quizzes the doorman where the
girl lives and a week later she moves without leaving an address. For a long time Marius is unable
to find a clue to his sweetheart's whereabouts and is overcome by despair.
Coincidence puts him back on the track. One day curiosity impels him to observe his neighbors
through a hole in the wall. He glimpses a family — father, mother, and two daughters — living in
unspeakable squalor. Soon after he witnesses the entrance of a philanthropist, M. Leblanc, and
his daughter. To his immense surprise, the daughter is Cosette. His jubilation is replaced by
consternation when he discovers that his neighbors are planning to draw M. Leblanc into a trap
the same evening. Marius contacts the police and on the instructions of Inspector Javert returns
to his room.
When Leblanc comes back, Marius' neighbor identifies himself as Thénardier, ties up his victim,
and demands an exorbitant ransom. The plot fails with the timely arrival of the inspector. In the
confusion of the arrest, Leblanc escapes.
Once again, the young girl has vanished. But Thénardier's daughter, who is selflessly in love with
Marius, manages to find his sweetheart for him.
After worshiping Cosette from afar, Marius summons the courage to declare his love. Cosette
reciprocates. For a whole month the couple lives a chaste and secret idyll, secret because Cosette
intuitively guesses Valjean's hostility to the man who is usurping his place.
Marius' happiness is unwittingly shattered by Valjean, who, disturbed by a secret warning and the
growing popular unrest in Paris, has decided to take Cosette to England. As a first step he moves
to a hideaway prepared for this kind of emergency.
Absorbed by his love, Marius has been unaware of the deteriorating political situation. Now his
private crisis is echoed by the crisis of an imminent insurrection. His friend Enjolras directs the
erection of a barricade in front of the Corinth wine shop. The first enemy he has to deal with is
found within the rebels' ranks. It is Javert, who is unmasked as a spy and tied up to await
execution.
Marius, driven by despair, decides to seek death in the insurrection. He joins the fighters at the
barricade and fights valiantly to the end. Valjean also joins the insurgents, but for special reasons.
He has discovered Marius' relationship with Cosette and his role in the revolution. For Cosette's
sake, he decides to protect the life of the man he abhors.
Before the final assault, Valjean volunteers to execute Javert. Instead, he spares the inspector's
life and sends him away. Then Valjean returns to the barricade as the few surviving defenders
are driven inside the wine shop. He seizes the seriously wounded Marius, disappears into a
manhole, and undertakes a heroic and harrowing passage through the sewers of Paris.
Unfortunately, Javert arrests him at the exit. However, he allows Valjean to take Marius to his
grandfather and later, in a quandary, releases Valjean. But he cannot forgive himself for this
breach of duty and commits suicide.
Marius' life has a happier ending. He recuperates from his wounds and overcomes his
grandfather's hostility to his marriage. The marriage, however, is a mortal blow to Valjean. He has
confessed his past to Marius, and the latter, in spite of his magnanimity, slowly estranges Cosette
from Valjean. Marius does not know that Valjean is the man who saved his life in the sewers.
Without Cosette, Valjean's life loses its meaning and he slowly withers away. Thénardier,
however, unwittingly reveals to Marius that Valjean is his savior, and Marius and Cosette arrive
in time to console Jean Valjean on his deathbed.
Exercise:
Assessment:
1. Who is known as the morning star of English Literature?
a. Geoffrey Chaucer c. Victor Hugo
b. Denise Levertov d. Oscar Wilde
2. Who is known in the late Victorian England?

a. Geoffrey Chaucer c. Victor Hugo
b. Denise Levertov d. Oscar Wilde
3. Who are the personas in the poem-What were they Like?

a. a man and a kid c. a person from the past and present
b. parent and child d. a person who knows the past and someone from the
present
4. What is the common struggle of the people in the story- The Happy Prince?
a. poverty c. cruelty
b. ignorance d. All of the above
5. What is one of the most important (if not the most important) literary piece written during the
Dark Ages?
a. The Canterbury Tales c Miss Saigon
b. Les Miserable d. The Happy Prince
6. Who symbolizes sacrifice in the story- The Happy Prince?

a. The swallow c. The Angel
b. The Happy Prince d. All of the above
7. Based on the poem What were they like, what became the reason for the change in Vietnam?
a. modernization c. government
b. war d. All of the above
8. Which piece was inspired by Madame Butterfly?

a. The Canterbury Tales c Miss Saigon
b. Les Miserable d. The Happy Prince
9. Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom,

but after their children were killed
there were no more buds.
Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.
A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy
What feeling can be attached to the lines above?
a. sadness c. grief
b. anger d. All of the above
10. What is the main theme of the Man of Law’s Tale?

a. Christian Values c. Love
b. Greed d. All of the above
11. What is the meaning of bui-doi?

a. wife of a GI c. second wife of a GI
b. son of a GI d. American soldier who left Vietnam
12. “I don't know if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been
changed for good."
Who could have the lines above?
a. Kim c. Monsieur Madeleine
b. The Swallow d. All of the above
13. What is the common struggle of the people in the story- Les Miserables?
a. poverty c. cruelty
b. ignorance d. All of the above
14. What is the original genre of the piece- Les Miserables?

a. Novel c. Short story
b. Play d. Biography
15. What is the main conflict in the piece- Les Miserables?

CHAPTER 6: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON DISCRIMINATION
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• Telephone Conversation (Wole Soyinka)
• I know why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
• Life in our Village (Matei Makwei)
• Anxiety of a Young Lady to Get Married
•
UNIT 1: TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Author’s Background: Wole Soyinka was born on July 13, 1934, in Nigeria and educated in
England. In 1986, the playwright and political activist became the first African to receive the Nobel
Prize for Literature. He dedicated his Nobel acceptance speech to Nelson Mandela. Soyinka has
published hundreds of works, including drama, novels, essays and poetry, and colleges all over
the world seek him out as a visiting professor.
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Wole Soyinka
The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey--I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces Racial and Gender Discrimination 55
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"
Exercise:
1. Describe the persona in the poem.

2. How is Racism evident in the piece?
3. If you were the persona, how would you feel about the conversation? Explain your answer.
UNIT 2: I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
Author’s Background: Maya Angelou was an American author, actress, screenwriter, dancer,
poet and civil rights activist best known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,
which made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by an African American woman.
Angelou received several honors throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in
the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou.
I II
A free bird leaps But a bird that stalks
on the back of the wind down his narrow cage
and floats downstream can seldom see through
till the current ends his bars of rage
and dips his wing his wings are clipped and
in the orange sun rays his feet are tied
and dares to claim the sky. so he opens his throat to sing.
III IV
The caged bird sings The free bird thinks of another breeze
with a fearful trill and the trade winds soft through the sighing
of things unknown trees
but longed for still and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright
and his tune is heard lawn
on the distant hill and he names the sky his own
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
V VI
But a caged bird stands on the grave of The caged bird sings
dreams with a fearful trill
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream of things unknown
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied but longed for still
so he opens his throat to sing. and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Exercise:
1. Using the Venn Diagram compare and contrast the free bird and the caged bird based on the
poem. Use the sides of the circles to indicate 3 differences of the two birds. Meanwhile, use the
overlapping parts of the circle to indicate their similarities.
Free Bird Caged Bird
2. Who does the free and caged bird represent? Explain your answer.
3. What kind of discrimination is found in the poem? Justify your answer.
UNIT 3: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Author’s Background: In 1959, Harper Lee finished the manuscript for her Pulitzer Prize-
winning bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird. Soon after, she helped fellow writer and friend Truman
Capote compose an article for The New Yorker which would evolve into his nonfiction
masterpiece, In Cold Blood.
Background of the Text: To Kill a Mockingbird, novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960.
Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages and sold more than 30 million
copies worldwide. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment
of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee
Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama
town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent
lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One
summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood
for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with
the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. Nathan
Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without venturing
outside.
Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts apparently
left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the following summer, and
he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus puts a stop to their antics,
urging the children to try to see life from another person’s perspective before making judgments.
But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property,
where Nathan Radley shoots at them. Jem loses his pants in the ensuing escape. When he
returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over the fence. The next winter, Jem and Scout
find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually
plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor’s house,
and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout’s shoulders as she watches the blaze.
Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mended pants and the presents.
To the consternation of Maycomb’s racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a black man
named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus’s
decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children, even when they celebrate
Christmas at the family compound on Finch’s Landing. Calpurnia, the Finches’ black cook, takes
them to the local black church, where the warm and close-knit community largely embraces the
children.
Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill, who is supposed
to live with his “new father” in another town, runs away and comes to Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s
trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local jail, a mob gathers to lynch him.
Atticus faces the mob down the night before the trial. Jem and Scout, who have sneaked out of
the house, soon join him. Scout recognizes one of the men, and her polite questioning about his
son shames him into dispersing the mob.
At the trial itself, the children sit in the “colored balcony” with the town’s black citizens. Atticus
provides clear evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, Bob, are lying: in fact,
Mayella propositioned Tom Robinson, was caught by her father, and then accused Tom of rape
to cover her shame and guilt. Atticus provides impressive evidence that the marks on Mayella’s
face are from wounds that her father inflicted; upon discovering her with Tom, he called her a
whore and beat her. Yet, despite the significant evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the all-
white jury convicts him. The innocent Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot to death.
In the aftermath of the trial, Jem’s faith in justice is badly shaken, and he lapses into despondency
and doubt.
Despite the verdict, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a fool out of him, and
he vows revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into the judge’s house, and
finally attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween party. Boo Radley intervenes,
however, saving the children and stabbing Ewell fatally during the struggle. Boo carries the
wounded Jem back to Atticus’s house, where the sheriff, in order to protect Boo, insists that Ewell
tripped over a tree root and fell on his own knife. After sitting with Scout for a while, Boo disappears
once more into the Radley house.
Later, Scout feels as though she can finally imagine what life is like for Boo. He has become a
human being to her at last. With this realization, Scout embraces her father’s advice to practice
sympathy and understanding and demonstrates that her experiences with hatred and prejudice
will not sully her faith in human goodness.
Exercise:
1. What does the title stand for?

2. Make a Story Grammar (as explained below) based on the story above.
3. What is the evidence of Racism in the novel?
UNIT 4: LIFE IN OUR VILLAGE
Background of the Text: Parallelism is a literary device in which parts of the sentence are
grammatically the same, or are similar in construction. It can be a word, a phrase, or an entire
sentence repeated. King's famous 'I have a dream' repetition makes the speech compelling and
rhythmic, as well as memorable.
LIFE IN OUR VILLAGE
Markwie Martie
I II
In our village Even when night comes
When elders are around, Boys must play separately,
Boys must not look at girls Girls must play separately.
And Girls must not look at boys But humanity is weak
Because the elder say So boys and girls meet.
That is not good.
III
The boys play hide and seek
And the girls play hide and seek.
The boys know where the girls hide
And the girls know where the boys hide –
So in their hide and seek,
Boys seek girls
Girls seek boys,
And each to each sing
Songs of love.
Exercise:
1. What kind of community does the persona belong to? Describe.
2. What kind of discrimination is brought about by the prevailing culture in the community? Explain.
3. Describe how Parallelism was used in the text. Explain by citing lines.
UNIT 5: YERMA
Author’s Background: Federico García Lorca, (born June 5, 1898, Fuente

Vaqueros, Granada province, Spain—died August 18 or 19, 1936, between Víznar and Alfacar,
Granada province), Spanish poet and playwright who, in a career that spanned just 19 years,
resurrected and revitalized the most basic strains of Spanish poetry and theatre. He is known
primarily for his Andalusian works, including the poetry collections Romancero
gitano (1928; Gypsy Ballads) and Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías (1935; “Lament for Ignacio
Sánchez Mejías,” Eng. trans. Lament for a Bullfighter), and the tragedies Bodas de
sangre (1933; Blood Wedding), Yerma (1934; Eng. trans. Yerma), and La casa de Bernarda
Alba (1936; The House of Bernarda Alba). In the early 1930s Lorca helped inaugurate a second
Golden Age of the Spanish theatre. He was executed by a Nationalist firing squad in the first
months of the Spanish Civil War.
Background of the Text: Yerma, tragedy in three acts by Federico García Lorca, produced in
1934 and published in 1937. It is the second play in a trilogy that also includes Blood
Wedding and The House of Bernarda Alba. The drama’s frustrated title character cannot accept
her childlessness, and she is driven to increasingly irrational behaviour, finally strangling her
husband.
YERMA
Federico Garcia Lorca
Yerma Synopsis: A tragic play in three acts and six scenes
Act I, Scene 1
Yerma has been married two years. She wants to strengthen her husband, Juan, so he
can give her children. Telling Yerma to stay at home, Juan goes back to his work in the olive
groves, and Yerma talks to the child she wishes she were carrying. María, married five months
and already pregnant, asks Yerma to sew for the baby. Yerma fears that if she too doesn’t
conceive soon, her blood will turn to poison. The couple’s friend, Victor, sees Yerma sewing and
assumes she is pregnant. His advice, when he learns the truth: try harder!
Act I, Scene 2
Yerma has just taken Juan his dinner in the fields. On the road home, she encounters an
Old Woman who insists that passion is the key to conception. Yerma admits a secret longing for
Victor, but none for Juan. She then meets two girls whose attitudes astonish her. One has left
her baby untended. The other is childless and glad of it, although her mother, Dolores, is giving
her herbs for pregnancy. Next, Victor comes along and the conversation between Victor and
Yerma becomes tense with unspoken thoughts and desires. Juan enters, worrying about what
people will say if Yerma stays out chatting. He tells her he intends to work all night. Yerma will
sleep alone.
Act II, Scene 1

It is three years later. Five Laundresses gossip about a woman who still has no children,
who has been looking at another man, and whose husband has brought in his sisters to keep an
eye on her. We know they mean Yerma. The laundresses sing about husbands and lovemaking
and babies.
Act II, Scene 2

Juan’s two sisters guard Yerma. She refuses to stay at home, and people are talking.
Without children in it, her house seems like a prison to her. Her marriage has turned bitter.
María (from Act 1, Scene 1) visits, but reluctantly, since the sight of her baby always makes
Yerma weep. The childless girl (from Act 1, Scene 2) says her mother, Dolores, is expecting
Yerma. Victor comes in to say goodbye. He is leaving the region while things are still unspoken
between them. When Juan goes out with Victor, Yerma makes her escape to see Dolores.
Act III, Scene 1

Dawn finds Yerma at Dolores’s house. Dolores and the Old Woman (from Act 1, Scene 2)
have been praying over Yerma all night in the cemetery. Juan accuses Yerma of deceit, and
she curses her blood, her body, and her father “who left me the blood of the father of a hundred
sons”.
Act III, Scene 2
Characters: Old Woman; First Woman; First Girl; Maria; Yerma; Juan; First Man; Second Man;
Boy; Male Mask; Female Mask; Girls; Children; Women; Men
(The environs of a hermitage high in the mountains. Downstage are the wheels of a cart
and some canvas forming a rustic tent, where we see Yerma. Women enter with offerings for
the shrine. They are barefoot. The cheerful Old Woman of the first act is on stage.)
(Singing while the curtain is raised)
When you were single I never could see you, but now you are married we’ll meet. When you
were single I never could see you. I’ll strip you bare now wife, and wanderer, when midnight
sounds through the air.
OLD WOMAN: (Sarcastically) Have you drunk the holy water?

FIRST WOMAN: Yes!
OLD WOMAN: Now let’s see it work.
FIRST WOMAN: We believe in it.
OLD WOMAN: You come to ask the saint for children, and it so happens every year more single
men come on this pilgrimage. What’ sgoing on? (She laughs)
FIRST WOMAN: Why do you come if you don’t believe?
OLD WOMAN: To watch. I’m crazy about seeing it all. And to look after my son. Last year two
men killed themselves over a barren wife and I need to be vigilant. And, finally, because I feel
like it.
FIRST WOMAN: God forgive you! (She leaves)
OLD WOMAN: (Sarcastically) May He forgive you too!
(She leaves. Maria enters with the First Girl)
FIRST GIRL: Is she here?
MARIA: There’s the cart. It cost me a lot to get her here. She’s been a month without rising
from her chair. I’m afraid of her. She’s possessed by some idea, I don’t know what, but it must
be a wicked one.
FIRST GIRL: I’m with my sister. She’s been coming here for eight years, but with no result.
MARIA: Those who are meant to have children do so.
FIRST GIRL: That’s what I say.
(Voices are heard)
MARIA: I’ve never liked these pilgrimages. Let’s go down to the farms where there are people
about.
FIRST GIRL: Last year, in the darkness, some young men felt my sister’s breasts.
MARIA: For miles around you hear nothing but dreadful tales.
FIRST GIRL: I saw more than forty barrels of wine behind the hermitage.
MARIA: A stream of single men flows through
these mountains.
(Voices are heard. Yerma enters with six Women
who are going to the chapel. They are barefooted and carrying ornamental candles. Twilight
falls.) Lord, who makes the roses flower don’t leave my rose to wither.
SECOND WOMAN: Over her body that suffers may the yellow rose flower.
MARIA: And in your servants’ bellies set free earth’s hidden fires.
CHORUS OF WOMEN: Lord, who makes the roses flower don’t leave mine to wither. (They
kneel.)
The heavens have their gardens
of happiness in flower: glows the rose of wonder between briar and briar. A ray of dawn appears
an angel watches over, with his wings of thunder with his eyes that suffer. All about the leaves,
there runs a milk-white river moistening the faces of the stars that quiver. Lord, may your rose
bloom in my barren flesh. (They rise.)
SECOND WOMAN: Lord, with your hand calm the embers of her cheeks.
YERMA: Listen to the penitent in her sacred wandering. Let your rose bloom in my flesh though
with a thousand thorns.
CHORUS OF WOMEN: Lord, who makes the roses flower don’t leave my rose to wither.
YERMA: To my flesh that suffers bring the rose of wonder.
(They leave.)
(Girls enter from the left running, with large garlands in their hands. From the right, three
others do the same, looking behind them. There is a crescendo of voices from the stage,
accompanied by bells on horse-collars and harnesses. On a higher level seven girls appear,
waving their garlands towards the left. The noise increases and two traditional Masks appear:
one male and the other female. The masks they carry are large. The Male carries a bull’s horn
in his hand. They are not in any way grotesque, but very beautiful and with a suggestion of
earthly purity. The Female shakes ring of large bells.)
CHILDREN: The devil and his wife! The devil and his wife!
(The rear of the stage fills with people who shout and comment on the dance. It is quite dark.)
In a stream along the mountain the sorrowing wife was bathing. All about her body creeping
little snails through the water. The sands all along the shore and all the breezes of morning
brought a flame to her laughter and made her shoulders shiver. Aye, nakedly she stood
there lovely lady of the water!
BOY: Aye, how she moaned there!
FIRST MAN: Aye, the withering of love!
BOY: In the wind and the water!
SECOND MAN: Let her say whom she longs for!
FIRST MAN: Let her say whom she waits for!
SECOND MAN: Aye, with her empty womb and with her waning beauty!
WOMAN’S MASK: When the darkness falls, I’ll tell you when the glittering night is falling. When
it gleams above our wandering, I’ll rip the seams of my clothing.
BOY: Suddenly there came the nightfall. Aye, how the night came falling! See there the
darkness gathering in the depths of mountain water.
(The sound of guitars commences.)
MALE MASK: (Rising, and shaking the horn) Aye, now how white the sorrowful wife! Ay, how
she sighs in the branches! You’ll be red poppies, carnations, when the man spreads his mantle.
(He approaches.) If you come here wandering begging for your womb to flower don’t you wear
a mourning veil, but a fine gown of soft linen. Walk alone along the walls where the fig-trees
grow thickest, and support my mortal body till the white dawn moans. Aye, how she shines
there!Aye, how she was shining there! Aye, how the woman quivers!
FEMALE MASK: Aye, let love wreathe her with coronets and garlands, arrows of brightest gold
through her breasts be darted!
MALE MASK: Seven times she wept there, nine times rose again. Fifteen times they joined
orange-tree with jasmine.
FIRST MAN: Strike her with the horn!
SECOND MAN: With the rose in the dance.
FIRST MAN: Aye, how the woman quivers!
MALE MASK: In this wandering the man always commands. The husband is the bull, ever the
man commands, and women are the flowers, for the one who wins.
BOY: Strike her with the breeze.
SECOND MAN: Strike her with the branch.
MALE MASK: Come and see the splendor of she who is bathing!
FIRST MAN: Like a reed she bends.
BOY: Like a flower she bows.
MEN: Let the young girls flee!
MALE MASK: Let the dance flare high and the shining body of the spotless wife!
(The girls dance to the sound of clapping and music. They sing.)
GIRLS: The heavens have their gardens of happiness in flower: glows the rose of wonder
between briar and briar. (Two girls pass by shouting. The cheerful Old Woman enters.)
OLD WOMAN: Let’s see if you’ll let us sleep now. But there’ll be something else later.
(Yerma enters) You? (Yerma is downcast and silent.) Why did you come here? Tell me.
YERMA: I don’t know.
OLD WOMAN: You’re not convinced? And your husband?
(Yerma shows signs of fatigue, and acts like someone whose mind is oppressed by a fixed
idea.)
YERMA: He’s over there.
OLD WOMAN: What’s he doing?
YERMA: Drinking. (Pause. Putting her hands to her forehead.) Aye!
OLD WOMAN: Aye, aye. Less of that: show more spirit. I couldn’t tell you before but now I can.
YERMA: What can you tell me that I don’t know already?
OLD WOMAN: What can no longer be silenced. What shouts itself from the rooftops. The fault
is your husband’s, do you hear? Let him cut off my hands if it isn’t. Neither his father, nor his
grandfather conducted themselves like man who breed well. For them to have a child, heaven
and earth had to be joined. They’re just balls of spit. But your family are not. You have brothers
and cousins for miles around. See what a curse has fallen on your beauty!
YERMA: A curse. A blight of venom on the crop.
OLD WOMAN: But you have feet on which you can leave his house.
YERMA: Leave?
OLD WOMAN: When I saw you in the procession my heart leapt. Women come here to find
new men, and the Saint performs miracles. My son is waiting for me behind the chapel. My
house needs a woman. Mate with him and the three of us can live together. My son is strong.
Like me. If you enter my household, there’ll be the smell of babies again. The ashes of your
coverlet will turn to bread and salt for your children. Come. Take no notice of others. And as for
your husband, in my house there are strong hearts and weapons to prevent him even crossing
the street.
YERMA: Hush, hush! It’s not like that! I can’t take another. I can’t go seeking men out. Do you
think I could know another man? Where would my honor be then? Water can’t run uphill or the
full moon rise at noon. No. I’ll keep to the path I’m on. Did you really think I could yield to
another man? That I could go and beg for what is mine, like a slave? Understand me, so you
never say it to me again. I am not seeking any other.
OLD WOMAN: When one is thirsty, one is grateful for water.
YERMA: I’m like a parched field where a thousand pairs of oxen should drive the plough, and
what you offer me is a little glass of water from the well. My grief is one that’s already beyond
the flesh.
OLD WOMAN: (Firmly) Then stay that way. Since you wish to. Like a thistle in a wasteland.
Pinched and barren.
YERMA: (Firmly) Barren, yes, I know that! Barren! You don’t need to hurl it in my face. Don’t
come and pleasure yourself, as children do, with the sufferings of some small creature. Ever
since I married, I’ve been avoiding that word and this is the first time I’ve heard it said
to my face. The first time I recognize that it’s true.
OLD WOMAN: You rouse no sympathy in me. None. I’ll go look for another wife for my son.
(She exits. A large choir of pilgrims is heard singing in the distance. Yerma moves towards the
cart, and her husband appears from behind it.)
YERMA: Were you there all along?
JUAN: I was there.
YERMA: Spying on me?
JUAN: Spying.
YERMA: You heard what I said?
JUAN: Yes.
YERMA: So? Leave me and go and join the singing. (She sits on the canvas.)
JUAN: It’s time I spoke too.
YERMA: Speak, then!
JUAN: And time I complained.
YERMA: About what?
JUAN: That I have a bitterness in my throat.
YERMA: And I in my bones.
JUAN: This is your last chance to resist this continual lament for shadowy things, outside
existence, for things that are lost in the breeze.
YERMA: (With dramatic astonishment) Outside existence you say? Lost in the breeze, you say?
JUAN: Things which haven’t happened and neither you nor I can control.
YERMA: (Violently) Go on, go on!
JUAN: For things that don’t matter. Do you hear? That have no importance to me. That’s what I
had to say to you. What matters to me is what I can hold in my hands, what I can see with
my eyes.
YERMA: (Rising to her knees, desperately) That’s it. That’s it. That’s what I wanted to hear from
your mouth. Truth is not felt when it’s inside oneself, but how vast it is, how loud it cries, when it
emerges, and raises its arms! It doesn’t matter! Now, I’ve heard you!
JUAN: (Approaching her) Think that it had to be so. Listen to me. (He embraces her to help
her rise.) Many women would be happy to live your life. Life is sweeter without children. I’m
happy without them. It’s not your fault.
YERMA: What did you seek in me, then?
JUAN: Yourself.
YERMA: (Excitedly) That’s it! You wanted a home, tranquillity, and a woman. But nothing more.
Is that true?
JUAN: It’s true. As everyone else does.
YERMA: And the rest? Your son?
JUAN: (Firmly) Didn’t you hear, it doesn’t matter! Don’t ask me again! Do I have to shout it in
your ear so you can understand, and live peacefully for once!
YERMA: And you’ve never thought about it even when you could see I wanted one?
JUAN: Never. (They are both on the ground)
YERMA: And I’m not to hope for one?
JUAN: No.
YERMA: Nor you?
JUAN: Nor I, likewise. Resign yourself!
YERMA: Barren!
JUAN: But living peacefully. Both of us, in gentleness and friendship. Embrace me! (He
embraces her.)
YERMA: What do you want?
JUAN: I want you. In the moonlight you are beautiful.
YERMA: You want me as if you were wanting a pigeon to eat.
JUAN: Kiss me…like this.
YERMA: That, never. Never (Yerma gives a cry and grasps her husband by the throat. He
falls backward. She chokes him until he is dead. The choir of pilgrims starts up.) Barren, barren,
but I’m certain at last. Now I know for certain. And alone. (She rises. People begin to gather.) I’ll
sleep, without waking with a start to see if my blood announces new blood. With a body barren
forever. What do you want? Don’t come near me, because I’ve murdered my child! I’ve killed my
own son! (The group that remained in the background gathers. We hear the sound of the choir
of pilgrims.)
Curtain. End
Exercise:
1. What does the title stand for?
2. Make a Story Grammar (as explained below) based on the story above.
3. What issue about women became the subject of the text?
Assessment:
1. Who among the following literary figures is a Nobel Prize awardee?

a. Wole Soyinka c. Matei Mekwei
b. Maya Angelou d. Federico Lorca
2. This writer wrote the first nonfiction bestseller written by n African American.
Wole Soyinka c. Matei Mekwei
b. Maya Angelou d. Federico Lorca
3. In poem, I know why the Caged Birds Sings, who is represented by the caged birds?
a. the victim of racial discrimination c. the victims of gender discrimination
b. the black people d. All of the above
4. Which among the following lines suggest the lack of freedom?

a. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
b. his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
c. with a fearful trill
d. and his tune is heard on the distant hill
5. What is the central theme of the literary piece-To Kill a Mockingbird?
a. evil human characters c. Discrimination against the “Black”
b. Greed d. All of the above
6. Which line presents the theme of the poem-Telephone Conversation?

a. "I hate a wasted journey--I am African."
b. The landlady swore she lived Off premises. Nothing remained.
c. Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
d. All of the above
7. Which among the following describes the persona in the poem- Telephone Conversation?
a. She is a black woman. c. She experienced discrimination.
b. She is looking for a place to rent. d. All of the above
8. “I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them.”
― Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye
The quote above is not suitable to ______________.
a. Yerma c. Atticus
b. Free birds d. None of the above
9. What causes the conflict in the poem, Life in our Village?

a. Culture c. Old People
b. Tradition d. All of the above
10. What is the original form of the piece Yerma?

a. Short story c. Play
b. Novel d. Movie
11. What is the original form of the piece To Kill a Mocking Bird?
a. Short story c. Play
b. Novel d. Movie
12. What is the main theme of the literary piece-literary piece-Yerma?

a. Culture c. Women in the Society
b. Tradition d. All of the above
13. What is the main conflict in the literary piece-literary piece-Yerma?

a. Man vs. Man c. Man vs. Society
b. Man vs. Himself d. Man vs. Nature
14. Which among the following is not an example of Parallelism.

a. I came. I saw. I conquered.
b. Practice makes perfect, but nobody is perfect.
c. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong
d. "Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie." (Prologue to Act 2)
15. Who is Gabriel Garcia Marquez?

a. He gave rise to the second golden age of Theater in Spain.
b. He is a poet.
c. He is the playwright behind Yerma.
d. All of the above
CHAPTER 7: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON GREED AND CONTENTMENT
Learning Outcomes:
• Transform the pieces to a variety of forms while maintaining its original idea
Course Materials:
• Macbeth (William Shakespeare
• The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)
• How much Land does a Man need (Leo Tolstoy)
• What should a Man want? (Wang Chi)
UNIT 1: MACBETH
Background of the Text: Likely written in 1606, Macbeth is considered one of Shakespeare’s
most topical plays for several reasons. As a dramatization of an episode of Scottish history, the
play is clearly associated with the reigning monarch, James I, who was also the patron of
Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men. Specifically, the presence of Banquo in the play, a
Scottish nobleman from whom James claimed descent serves to consolidate and reinforce
James’s ancient and royal lineage. The central thematic tropes in the play—the specter of
treason, the psychological and social impact of regicide, the precariousness of power and the
demonic potential of the supernatural—are all subjects that occupied the king is using a direct link
to “Hecate” who is the goddess of witches for the ancient Greeks.
SUMMARY OF MACBETH
William Shakespeare
Act I
On a bleak Scottish moorland, Macbeth and Banquo, two of King Duncan's generals,
discover three strange women (witches). The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be promoted
twice: to Thane of Cawdor (a rank of the aristocracy bestowed by grateful kings) and King of
Scotland. Banquo's descendants will be kings, but Banquo isn't promised any kingdom himself.
The generals want to hear more, but the "weird sisters" disappear.
Soon afterwards, King Duncan names Macbeth Thane of Cawdor as a reward for his success in
the recent battles. The promotion seems to support the prophecy. The King then proposes to
make a brief visit that night to Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Lady Macbeth receives news from
her husband about the prophecy and his new title. She vows to help him become king by whatever
means are necessary (*ominous music*).
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces on Greed and Contentment 68
Act II
Macbeth returns to his castle, followed almost immediately by King Duncan. The Macbeths plot
together to kill Duncan and wait until everyone is asleep. At the appointed time, Lady Macbeth
gives the guards drugged wine so Macbeth can enter and kill the King. He regrets this almost
immediately, but his wife reassures him. She leaves the bloody daggers by the dead king just
before Macduff, a nobleman, arrives. When Macduff discovers the murder, Macbeth kills the
drunken guards in a show of rage and retribution. Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee,
fearing for their own lives; but they are, nevertheless, blamed for the murder.
Act III
Macbeth becomes King of Scotland but is plagued by feelings of insecurity. He remembers the
prophecy that Banquo's descendants will inherit the throne and arranges for Banquo and his son
Fleance to be killed. In the darkness, Banquo is murdered, but his son escapes the assassins. At
his state banquet that night, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and worries the courtiers with his
mad response. Lady Macbeth dismisses the court and unsuccessfully tries to calm her husband.
Act IV
Macbeth seeks out the witches who say that he will be safe until a local wood, Birnam Wood,
marches into battle against him. He also need not fear anyone born of woman (that sounds
secure, no loop-holes here). They also prophesy that the Scottish succession will still come from
Banquo's son. Macbeth embarks on a reign of terror, slaughtering many, including Macduff's
family. Macduff had gone to seek Malcolm (one of Duncan's sons who fled) at the court of the
English king. Malcolm is young and unsure of himself, but Macduff, pained with grief, persuades
him to lead an army against Macbeth.
Macbeth seeks out the witches who say that he will be safe until a local wood, Birnam Wood,
marches into battle against him. He also need not fear anyone born of woman (that sounds
secure, no loop-holes here). They also prophesy that the Scottish succession will still come from
Banquo's son. Macbeth embarks on a reign of terror, slaughtering many, including Macduff's
family. Macduff had gone to seek Malcolm (one of Duncan's sons who fled) at the court of the
English king. Malcolm is young and unsure of himself, but Macduff, pained with grief, persuades
him to lead an army against Macbeth.
Act V: Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane until he is told that Birnam Wood is
moving towards him. Malcolm's army is carrying branches from the forest as camouflage for their
assault on Macbeth's stronghold. Meanwhile, an overwrought and conscience-ridden Lady
Macbeth walks in her sleep and tells her secrets to her doctor. She commits suicide. As the final
battle commences, Macbeth hears of Lady Macbeth's suicide and mourns.
In the midst of a losing battle, Macduff challenges Macbeth. Macbeth learns Macduff is the child
of a caesarean birth (loophole!), realises he is doomed, and submits to his enemy. Macduff
triumphs and brings the head of the traitor Macbeth to Malcolm. Malcolm declares peace and
goes to Scone to be crowned king.
Exercise:
1. Make a story map (see picture below) of Macbeth
2. How is greed evident in the story? Explain your story.
UNIT 2: THE NECKLACE
Author’s Background: Guy de Maupassant, in full Henry-René-Albert-Guy de Maupassant,

(born August 5, 1850, Château de Miromesnil?, near Dieppe, France—died July 6, 1893, Paris),
French naturalist writer of short stories and novels who is by general agreement the greatest
French short-story writer.
SUMMARY OF THE NECKLACE

Guy de Maupassant
The short story "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant takes place in France several hundred
years ago. Mathilde Loisel lives in a flat with her husband, who works as a clerk for the Minister
of Education. Their lives are not luxurious, but they are not poor, merely simple. Mathilde,
however, longs to be rich. She envies her friend Jeanne who has a large house and lots of jewelry.
One day her husband brings home an invitation to a ball. He thinks his wife will be excited to
attend such a fancy party, but instead she is upset. She complains that she has nothing suitable
to wear to such an extravagant occasion. Her kind husband agrees to give her the four hundred
francs that he had been saving to buy a new rifle to get herself a gown.
The week of the party, Mathilde seems anxious again. When her husband asks her why, she frets
that she has no jewelry to wear with her dress. He suggests that perhaps she could borrow
something from her friend Jeanne Forestier. Mathilde goes to Jeanne's house and picks out a
sparkling diamond necklace to borrow.
She and her husband attend the gala and have a fabulous time. She loves amazing and dances
all night. Finally, they head home in the wee hours of the morning. When they arrive home,
Mathilde realizes that the necklace is missing. They wonder if it fell off in the carriage that they
took home, but neither of them noticed the number. Her husband goes out to search the streets
but returns empty handed. To stall for time, Mathilde writes to her friend that she broke the clasp
and is having it repaired. In the meantime, they find another necklace that matches the missing
one, but it costs thirty-six thousand francs. Her husband fortunately inherited eighteen thousand
francs from his father, but they will need to borrow the rest of the money. Finally, they have enough
to purchase the replacement necklace and Mathilde gives it to Jeanne who doesn't even look at
it.
The next ten years Mathilde's life changes dramatically. They move to a smaller apartment where
she has to cook and clean for herself. She also does work on the side while her husband works
multiple jobs to pay back all the money they borrowed. After the ten years, the money is all paid
back, but Mathilde has aged a great deal.
One day she sees Jeanne Forestier on the street. She decides to tell her the truth about the
necklace. Jeanne is stunned by Mathilde's rough appearance. Mathilde explains that it is indirectly
because of Jeanne since she lost the necklace she borrowed from her and had to pay for a
replacement. Shocked, Jeanne confesses that the necklace Mathilde borrowed was a fake, made
of paste, worth no more than five hundred francs.
Exercise:
1. Make a story map (see picture below) of Macbeth
2. How is the lack of contentment evident in the story? Explain your story.
UNIT 3: HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED
Author’s Background: Leo Tolstoy, Tolstoy also spelled Tolstoi, Russian in full Lev
Nikolayevich, Graf (count) Tolstoy, (born August 28 [September 9, New Style], 1828, Yasnaya
Polyana, Tula province, Russian Empire—died November 7 [November 20], 1910, Astapovo,
Ryazan province), Russian author, a master of realistic fiction and one of the world’s greatest
novelists.
Note: Realistic fiction consists of stories that are anchored in reality but a part of it (like characters,
setting and some events) is fictionalized.
SUMMAR Y OF HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED?

Leo Tolstoy
Pakhom, a poor peasant, and his wife after visited by latter’s elder sister. The wife of a
merchant, the elder sister brags about her glamourous life in the city and insults her sister’s
modest country existence. The younger sister defends her lifestyle, claiming self-sufficiency and
simplicity is the road to the moral high ground. Pakhom joins in, saying that with enough land he
would have nothing to fear—including “the Devil himself.” The Devil overhears Pakhom’s claim
and vows to tempt him with land.
When a local lady landowner suddenly decides to part with her property, Pakhom convinces her
to sell him thirty acres. At first, Pakhom seems happy with his purchase. It would be perfect, he
thinks, if not for the constant trespassing of local peasants. Pakhom repeatedly fines these
peasants and takes them to court, causing tensions to escalate to the point that his neighbors
threaten to burn down his house.
Pakhom has grown resentful of his “cramped life” when a traveling peasant tells him of a village
south of the Volga river, where families are allotted twenty-five acres of farmland per person upon
settling. Pakhom and his family travel to the commune, where they are welcomed and allotted
land totaling three times the amount they left behind. Nevertheless, Pakhom wants more,
convinced that freehold land—in contrast to leased—is the way to truly become wealthy.
Just as Pakhom is about to purchase some freehold land from a bankrupt peasant, a passing
merchant distracts him with stories of plentiful land in the far-away region of the Bashkirs. Over
tea, the merchant says that after gifting the Bashkirs a few presents, he was able to secure
thirteen thousand acres for a mere twenty copecks apiece.
Pakhom leaves his family behind and travels to the land of the Bashkirs. Upon his arrival, they
prove to be friendly yet strange people and offer Pakhom kumiss to drink. Pakhom gives the
Bashkirs several gifts, as instructed by the passing merchant, and they eagerly look to repay his
kindness. Pakhom requests the opportunity to purchase some of their land. The Bashkir
elder soon arrives and agrees to sell Pakhom as much land as he can circumnavigate in one day
for the price of a thousand roubles, provided Pakhom returns to his starting point by sunset.
Pakhom readily agrees.
That night Pakhom experiences a strange dream, in which the Bashkir elder, the passing
merchant, and the traveling peasant each transform into the Devil, who then laughs at a dead and
nearly-naked figure at his feet. Pakhom realizes that the dead figure is in fact himself. Upon
waking, however, he brushes off the dream. He sets his eyes on the land waiting to be claimed,
grabs his spade, and begins his walk.
Despite the growing heat of the sun, Pakhom easily covers approximately six miles of land,
marking his way with the spade and shedding his clothing to keep cool. By midday, Pakhom has
grown uncomfortable under the relentless sun, but he pushes on. After having walked ten miles,
he realizes must hasten his pace to ensure that he returns by sundown. Pakhom rushes back and
arrives at his starting point just as the setting sun crosses the horizon. He then promptly drops
dead from exhaustion. His workman uses the spade to dig Pakhom’s grave, answering the
story’s title question. In the end, a man needs only enough land to bury him
Exercise:
1. Make a story map (see picture below) of How much land does a Man need?
2. How is greed evident in the story? Explain your story.
UNIT 4: WHAT SHOULD A MAN WANT
Author’s Background:
WHAT SHOULD A MAN WANT?

Wang Chi
“TELL me now, what should a man want

But to sit alone sipping his cup of wine?
I should like to have visitors come to discuss philosophy
And not to have tax-collectors coming to collect taxes;
My three sons married into good families,
My five daughters provided with steady husbands
Then I could jog through a happy five-score years
Craving no Cloud-ascent, no Resurrection
Exercise:
1. According to the poetry, what should a man want?
2. What is the picture of contentment shown in the poetry?
3. Based on your personal view, what should a man want?
Assessment:
1. Who is considered to be the inspiration of Macbeth?

a. Queen Elizabeth c. William Shakespeare
b. James I d. None of the above
2. Who is known as the best French writer of short stories?

a. William Shakespeare c. Leo Tolstoy
b. Guy de Maupassant d. Wang Chi
3. Who is known for writing realistic fictions?

a. William Shakespeare c. Leo Tolstoy
b. Guy de Maupassant d. Wang Chi
4. According to the story, How much Land does a Man need?

a. a land enough for farming c. a land enough for a convenient life
b. 6 feet under the ground. d. a land enough for him and his family
5. Who among the following is the figure that represents of greed in the story?
a. Macbeth c. King Duncan
b. Lady Macbeth d. a and b
6. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to
have.”― Socrates
The line above is best used as an advice to _________.
a. Macbeth c. Panhom
b. Mathilde d. All of the above
7. What is the true conflict in the plot of The Necklace?

a. Man vs Man c. Man vs. Himself
b. Man vs. Fate d. Man vs. Society
8. What is the true conflict in the plot of How much Land does a Man need?
9. What is the true conflict in the plot of Macbeth?

10. And not to have tax-collectors coming to collect taxes;

What could be the best interpretation of the line above?
a. The man is no longer interested to be rich.
b. The man is no longer interested to do business.
c. The man does not like responsibilities anymore.
d. The man does not like to pay his txes.
11. “A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy.”

― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Cancer Ward
Which text carries the same message?
a. How much Land does a Man Need? c. What must a man want?
b. Macbeth d. The Necklace
12. It is considered as one of the __________ of William Shakespeare.

a. Comedies c. Historical plays
b. Tragedies d. b and c
13. What is the interesting ending of Mathilde’s story?

a. She became poor. c. She divorced her husband.
b. She looked ugly. d. She found out the value of the necklace.
14. “Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.”
― Pearl S. Buck
To whom will offer the line above as an advice?
a. Pahom c. Man
b. King Duncan d. Monsieur Loissel
15. But to sit alone sipping his cup of wine?

What is the meaning of the line above?
a. Joy c. Peace
b. Desire d. Contentment
CHAPTER 8: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)
• Demon in the Desert (Jataka Tales)
• The Lady or the Tiger (Frank Stockton)
UNIT 1: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Author’s Background: Robert Frost, in full Robert Lee Frost, (born March 26, 1874, San
Francisco, California, U.S.—died January 29, 1963, Boston, Massachusetts), American poet who
was much admired for his depictions of the rural life of New England, his command of
American colloquial speech, and his realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday
situations.
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Rober t Fr ost
I II
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, Then took the other, as just as fair,
And sorry I could not travel both And having perhaps the better claim,
And be one traveler, long I stood Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
And looked down one as far as I could Though as for that the passing there
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Had worn them really about the same,
II I IV
And both that morning equally lay I shall be telling this with a sigh
In leaves no step had trodden black. Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Oh, I kept the first for another day! Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I took the one less traveled by,
I doubted if I should ever come back. And that has made all the difference.
Exercise:
1. Based on the poem, what could be the setting (place and time) depicted in the poetry?
2. What are the two options of the persona in the poetry? What did he/she choose? What could
be the meaning behind the roads?
GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces on Death 76

3. Given the background of the author, provide the evidence from the poem that can prove his
style of writing.
UNIT 2: THE ARMFUL
THE ARMFUL
Robert Frost
For every parcel I stoop down to seize

I lose some other off my arms and knees,
And the whole pile is slipping, bottles, buns --
Extremes too hard to comprehend at once,
Yet nothing I should care to leave behind.
With all I have to hold with hand and mind
And heart, if need be, I will do my best
To keep their building balanced at my breast.
I crouch down to prevent them as they fall;
Then sit down in the middle of them all.
I had to drop the armful in the road
And try to stack them in a better load.
Exercise:
1. Based on the poem, what could be the meaning of the parcels?

2. And heart, if need be, I will do my best
To keep their building balanced at my breast.
Explain further the lines stated above.
3. Prove the writing style of Robert Frost by citing the lines that will serve as proof.
UNIT 3: THE LADY OR THE TIGER
Author’s Background: Frank Stockton, byname of Francis Richard Stockton also called Frank
Richard Stockton, (born April 5, 1834, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died April 20, 1902,
Washington, D.C.), American popular novelist and short-story writer of mainly humorous fiction,
best known as the author of the title story of a collection called The Lady, or the Tiger? (1884).
THE LADY OR THE TIGER

Frank Stockton
Frank R.Stockton’s ‘The Lady or the Tiger?’ is a short story begins with the portrayal of a half-
barbaric king who is an unpredictable man. He is inclined to transforming odd likes he has into
the real world. The story revolves around the king’s manner to deal with equity. He has built a
public arena with two doors from the idea received from distant Latin neighbors.

Any individual under his rule who carries out a crime of adequate intrigue is brought to the arena
where they should pick their destiny by choosing between two doors. A savage and ferocious
tiger is left behind one door that will kill the individual alive. Behind the other door is a reasonable
woman and the individual should marry her immediately whether he likes her or not. So the destiny
of the individual is sentenced to some coincidence. It has been known to every person under his
rule.
The King enjoys this arrangement of equity. At some point, the King discovers that his daughter
has fallen in love with a courageous and honest young man. But the young man is a courtier and
not of regal birth. Chafed by this, he has brought the princess’ lover to the arena to decide his
fate. During this time, the princess utilizes her cleverness and pays off to gather information about
the doors. The lady who will be inside the door has recently stimulated jealous in the princess.
When the young man looks at her for a clue to open the door. She signals him towards a door.
Which door did the princess signal him? The Lady or the Tiger?. Here the author ends the story
and the decision has been left to the readers.
Exercise:
1. Name and describe the three main characters in the story.

2. What do you think is inside the door Princess chose for the young man? Explain your naswer.
3. How is our choices in life vital based on the story?
Assessment:
1. What is Robert Frost known for?

a. illustration of province or country life in his pieces
b. use of colloquial speech in his poems
c. his realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday situations
d. All of the above
2. I had to drop the armful in the road

And try to stack them in a better load.
a. the persona failed c. the persona rested
b. the persona surrendered d. the persona has a new perspective
3. What do the parcels stand for?

a. human wants c. human’s responsibilities
b. human needs d. human desire
4. I lose some other off my arms and knees,

And the whole pile is slipping, bottles, buns --
Extremes too hard to comprehend at once,
a. struggles of the persona c. failures of the persona
b. successes of the persona d. joy and sorrow of the persona

5. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
What season is referred to?
a. Summer c. Autumn
b. Spring d. Winter
6. And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
a. The persona could not make a decision
b. The persona has decided.
c. The persona will no longer decided.
d. It has been decided for the persona.
7. What is the meaning of the title of the poem-The Road not Taken?
a. It refers to the easy things people do.
b. It refers to the difficult things people do.
c. It refers to the different way of doing the same things.
d. It refers to the normal way of life.
8. What is Frank Stockton known for?

a. Short stories c. Children’s stories
b. Fairytales d. Fables
9. What is the true conflict in the plot of The Lady or the Tiger?
10. Who among the characters of the piece The Lady or the Tiger must make the most difficult
decision?
a. King c. Man/Lover
b. Princess d. Woman behind the door

CHAPTER 9: SELECTED LITERARY PIECES ON DEATH
Learning Outcomes:
Course Materials:
• Because I could not Stop for Death (Emily Dickinson)
• Bells (Edgar Allan Poe)
• To an Athlete Dying Young (A.E. Housman)
• Book of the Dead
• Divine Comedi (Dante Alegueri) \
UNIT 1: BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH
Author’s Background: Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst,
Massachusetts. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but only for one
year. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was actively involved in state and national politics, serving in
Congress for one term. Dickinson's poetry was heavily influenced by the Metaphysical poets of
seventeenth-century England, as well as her reading of the Book of Revelation and her upbringing
in a Puritan New England town, which encouraged a Calvinist, orthodox, and conservative
approach to Christianity.
Note: Metaphysical poetry is less concerned with expressing feeling than with analyzing it, with
the poet exploring the recesses of his consciousness. The boldness of the literary devices used—
especially obliquity, irony, and paradox—are often reinforced by a dramatic directness of
language and by rhythms derived from that of living speech.
BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH

Emily Dickinson
I II
Because I could not stop for Death – We slowly drove – He knew no haste
He kindly stopped for me – And I had put away
The Carriage held but just Ourselves – My labor and my leisure too,
And Immortality. For His Civility –

III IV
We passed the School, where Children strove Or rather – He passed us –
At Recess – in the Ring – The Dews drew quivering and chill –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – For only Gossamer, my Gown –
We passed the Setting Sun – My Tippet – only Tulle –
V VI
We paused before a House that seemed Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
A Swelling of the Ground – Feels shorter than the Day
The Roof was scarcely visible – I first surmised the Horses' Heads
The Cornice – in the Ground – Were toward Eternity –
Exercise:
Answer the questions on your portfolio.
1. Describe the image/s painted in the poem.
2. What perspective on Death is presented in the poem? Explain your answer.
3. What is the meaning of the dash (-) in the poem? Justify your answer.
UNIT 2: THE BELLS
Author’s Background: The Bells, poem by Edgar Allan Poe, published posthumously in the
magazine Sartain’s Union (November 1849). Written at the end of Poe’s life, this incantatory
poem examines bell sounds as symbols of four milestones of human experience—childhood,
youth, maturity, and death.
Note: Assonance takes place when two or more words, close to one another repeat the same
vowel sound, but start with different consonant sounds.
THE BELLS
Edgar Allan Poe
I II
Hear the sledges with the bells — Hear the mellow wedding-bells
Silver bells! Golden bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, Through the balmy air of night
In the icy air of night! How they ring out their delight! —
While the stars that over sprinkle From the molten-golden notes,
All the heavens, seem to twinkle And all in tune,
With a crystalline delight; What a liquid ditty floats
Keeping time, time, time, To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats
In a sort of Runic rhyme, On the moon!
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells Oh, from out the sounding cells,
From the bells, bells, bells, bells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!
Bells, bells, bells — How it swells!
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. How it dwells
On the Future! — how it tells
Of the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
Of the bells, bells, bells —
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells —
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

III IV
Hear the loud alarum bells — Hear the tolling of the bells —
Brazen bells! Iron bells!
What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells! What a world of solemn thought their monody
In the startled ear of night compels!
How they scream out their affright! In the silence of the night,
Too much horrified to speak, How we shiver with affright
They can only shriek, shriek, At the melancholy menace of their tone!
Out of tune, For every sound that floats
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, From the rust within their throats
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic Is a groan.
fire, And the people — ah, the people —
Leaping higher, higher, higher, They that dwell up in the steeple,
With a desperate desire, All alone,
And a resolute endeavor And who, tolling, tolling, tolling,
Now — now to sit, or never, In that muffled monotone,
By the side of the pale-faced moon. Feel a glory in so rolling
Oh, the bells, bells, bells! On the human heart a stone —
What a tale their terror tells They are neither man nor woman —
Of Despair! They are neither brute nor human —
How they clang, and clash, and roar! They are Ghouls: —
What a horror they outpour And their king it is who tolls: —
On the bosom of the palpitating air! And he rolls, rolls, rolls, rolls,
Yet the ear, it fully knows, Rolls
By the twanging A paean from the bells!
And the clanging, And his merry bosom swells
How the danger ebbs and flows; With the paean of the bells!
Yet [[Yes]], the ear distinctly tells, And he dances, and he yells;
In the jangling Keeping time, time, time,
And the wrangling, In a sort of Runic rhyme,
How the danger sinks and swells, To the paean of the bells —
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the Of the bells: —
bells — Keeping time, time, time,
Of the bells — In a sort of Runic rhyme,
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, To the throbbing of the bells —
Bells, bells, bells — Of the bells, bells, bells —
In the clamor and the clangor of the bells! To the sobbing of the bells: —
Keeping time, time, time,
As he knells, knells, knells,
In a happy Runic rhyme,
To the rolling of the bells —
Of the bells, bells, bells: —
To the tolling of the bells —
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells —
To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.
Exercise:
Copy then answer the questions on your portfolio.
1. Cite the lines from the poems that refer to the 4 stages of human milestones.
2. What is the main idea of the poem? Explain your answer.

UNIT 3: TO AN ATHLETE DYING YOUNG
Author’s background: Alfred Edward Housman was born in Worcestershire, England, and he
was profoundly affected by his mother’s death when he was 12. He would become This
Cambridge University professor of Latin left no doubt about his priorities: the emendation of
classical texts was both an intellectual search for the truth and his life’s work; poetry was an
emotional and physiological experience that began with a sensation in the pit of the stomach. The
apparent discrepancies in this man who became both a first-rate scholar and a celebrated poet
should be a reminder that, whatever else poetry does, it also records the interior life, a life that
has its roots well beneath the academic gown or the business suit. Though Housman aspired to
be a great scholar first, a look at his life and work reveals that he valued poetry more highly than
he often admitted, and that many of the presumed conflicts between the classical scholar and the
romantic poet easily dissolve in the personality of the man.
TO AN ATHLETE DYING YOUNG

A.E. Housman
I II
The time you won your town the race To-day, the road all runners come,
We chaired you through the market-place; Shoulder-high we bring you home,
Man and boy stood cheering by, And set you at your threshold down,
And home we brought you shoulder-high. Townsman of a stiller town.
III IV
Smart lad, to slip betimes away Eyes the shady night has shut
From fields where glory does not stay, Cannot see the record cut,
And early though the laurel grows And silence sounds no worse than cheers
It withers quicker than the rose. After earth has stopped the ears:
V VI
Now you will not swell the rout So set, before its echoes fade,
Of lads that wore their honours out, The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
Runners whom renown outran And hold to the low lintel up
And the name died before the man. The still-defended challenge-cup.
VII
And round that early laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.
Exercise
Copy then answer the questions on your portfolio.
1. Describe the image/s painted in the poem.
2. What perspective on Death is presented in the poem? Explain your answer.
3. If you were to choose between dying young at the peak of your fame or dying old when
people have forgotten you already, what would you choose? Explain your answer.

UNIT 4: DIVINE COMEDI
Background of the Text: Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy is a famous Medieval Italian
epic poem depicting the realms of the afterlife. Dante (who was born in 1265) wrote The Divine
Comedy somewhere between 1308 and his death in 1321, while he was in exile from his
hometown of Florence, Italy, which had been enduring civil war.
The Divine Comedy is divided into three separate volumes, each containing 33 cantos (or
chapters). These volumes are Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
Dante is both the author and the central character of this trilogy. He travels through all of Hell,
Purgatory, and Heaven to make his way back to God, meeting several characters from history
and literature on his way.
SUMMARY OF THE DIVINE COMEDI

Dante Alighieri
Inferno
As an exile, the poet Dante felt rather lost in his life; so, at the beginning of Inferno, the character
Dante is likewise lost both physically and spiritually. The ancient Roman poet Virgil (a hero of
Dante's) appears in the poem to guide Dante through Hell in an effort to save Dante's soul. Hell
exists in the middle of the Earth and is made up of nine circles.
The sinners in Hell have never repented while on Earth. They suffer the consequences of the sins
they committed during life, which are turned back on them, a concept called contrapasso. For
example, canto 20 depicts circle eight, where sorcerers who used dark magic to see forward into
the future now have their heads painfully turned backwards for all eternity.
Hell is structured like an upside down cone, with each descending circle becoming smaller and
containing more depraved souls and more intense suffering. Right outside the gates of Hell are
those who neither accepted nor rejected God.
Within the gates of Hell, the first circle holds the unbaptized and the pagans born before Christ
(such as Plato, Aristotle, and Virgil himself). The other circles are defined by the major sin
committed by those condemned to that circle: lust (circle two), gluttony (circle three), greed (circle
four), and wrath and depression (circle five). The final circles make up the infernal city called Dis,
with circle six containing heretics, circle seven containing those who committed violence, circle 8
containing deceivers, and circle nine containing those who betrayed trust. At the deepest region
of circle nine, a three-faced Satan, stuck in a frozen lake, chews on the worst betrayers of all time:
Judas (who betrayed Jesus), and Brutus and Cassius (both of whom betrayed Julius Ceasar).
Purgatorio
After the harrowing experience in Hell, Dante and Virgil climb out and enter Purgatory, where
penitent souls endure punishment in order to fully purge themselves of sin before entering
Heaven. Purgatory is shaped like a mountain and is divided into seven different levels, associated
with the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, wrath, sloth, covetousness, gluttony, and lust.
Contrapasso still exists to some extent; for example, those who struggled with the flames of lust
on Earth literally endure a purging fire in Purgatory. But, unlike the souls in Hell, these souls
embrace their punishment because it is making them holy. They sing and praise God in the midst
of their punishment, and implore Dante to ask people on Earth to pray for their souls. Also unlike
the souls in Hell, they are free to move between the seven levels as they purify themselves.
Beyond the seventh level at the top of the mountain is the earthly paradise of Eden, where Virgil
disappears and is replaced by Dante's next guide.
Paradiso
The Divine Comedy is much more than just an interesting medieval text about Christianity. It’s
really, really well-written. Dante’s poetry still feels intense and immediate, even after seven
hundred years, even when it’s talking about the planets in a way that seems strange to modern
readers. In Paradiso, for example, Dante and Beatrice ascend through the nine spheres of the
Universe and then pass into the Empyrean beyond the boundary of time and space – and Dante
makes every sphere feel more joyful and radiant than the previous one. Every time Dante seems
to have reached his limit, he finds a way to make his next description even more extraordinary.
Dante’s joy is his reward for the hardships of his journey up to this point. And at the same time,
Beatrice explains more and more about the workings of God and the Universe, so everything that
Dante has seen makes more and more sense, and the reader is gripped by the idea that they are
receiving the same revelation as Dante. After the horrors of Hell and the hardships of Purgatory,
we finally understand the secrets of the Christian Universe.
Exercise:
1. Differentiate the Infern, Purgatorio and Paradiso from each other.
2. Make a plot diagram of the 3 volumes.
Assessment:
1. What meaning can be inferred in the use dash --- in the poetry titled-Because I could not Stop
for Death?
a. infinity c. pause
b. continuity d. break

2. In the poetry titled-Because I could not Stop, what is the view of the persona toward Death?
a. Death is the end. c. Death is a thief.
b. Death brings immortality. d. No one can escape death.
3. In the poetry titled-To An Athlete Dying Young, what is the view of the persona toward Death?
a. Death is the end. c. Death is a thief.
b. Death brings immortality. d. No one can escape death.
4. What is considered to be one of the best Italian works in the world?

a. To An Athlete Dying Young c. Divine Comedy
b. The Bells d. Because I could not Stop for Death
5. Which among the following is found in the poetry titled-Because I could not Stop?
a. Simile c. Hyperbole
b. Irony d. None of the above
6. In the piece, Divine Comedi, where can one find the unbaptized children?
a. Inferno c. Paradiso
b. Purgatoryo
7. What is the meaning behind the symbolism of golden bells?

a. childhood c. maturity
b. youth d. death
8. Who is known for metaphysical forms of literature?

a. AE Housman c. Emily Dickinson
b. Dante Alighieri d. Edgar Allan Poe
9. The time you won your town the race

We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.
What picture is painted in the stanza above?
a. festivity c. competition
b. funeral d. party
10. What is an example of assonance in the poetry-The Bells?

a. From the molten-golden notes,
b. Hear the sledges with the bells
c. To the swinging and the ringing
d. All of the above
11. Which line can prove that the athlete died young?
a. And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.
b. And silence sounds no worse than cheers
c. And the name died before the man.
d. All of the above

12. What is the meaning behind the symbolism of iron bells?
a. childhood c. maturity
b. youth d. death
13. What is the original form of the piece by Dante Alighieri?

a. Poem c. Novel
b. Play d. Drama
14. In the piece, Divine Comedi, where can one find the sinners who still praise God despite their
sufferings?
a. Inferno c. Paradiso
b. Purgatoryo
15. What is the theme of the piece- Divine Comedy?

a. Man’s spiritual journey c. Results of actions
b. Sins have consequences d. All of the above

GRADING SYSTEM:
Exercise Set 30%
Assessment Set 30%
Portfolio 40%
100%
COURSE REQUIREMENT: WORLD LITERATURE PORTFOLIO

Instructions on Content:
• All the answers in each unit and chapter assessment must be handwritten
on your portfolio.
• Write the answer and the questions of the exercises and assessments.
• Indicate the title of the chapter, unit and page number on the upper left part
of your paper before writing the instructions and the questions with answer.
• Each chapter must end with a REFLECTION. Write in this part your
learnings (both academic and moral) from all the pieces your read. Indicate
by writing the heading-Reflection.
Instructions on Format:
• Use a regular notebook.
• Divide it into 9 parts representing the 9 Chapters of the instructional
material.
• Everything should be handwritten.
• Be creative without sacrificing the content of your portfolio.
Rubrics for Grading:
Ability to follow the instructions 10 pts
Creativity 10 pts
Comprehensibility of the content (Reflection) 10 pts
30 pts
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World Literature. Ms. Kamille Legaspi 1

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Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR

WORLD LITERATURE (GEED 10223)

Ms. Kamille D. Legaspi, LPT, MAE

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE

KAMILLE D. LEGASPI, MAEd, LPT

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE

CHAPTER 1: Nature of Literature 1

CHAPTER 2: The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

CHAPTER 3: The Gift of the Magi (O’ Henry) 24

CHAPTER 5: The Canterbury Tales

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE

CHAPTER 8 The Road Not Taken

CHAPTER 9 Because I could not Stop for Death

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE

UNIT 1: NATURE OF LITERATURE

-it represents the significant human experiences

What are the Literary Standards?

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 1

UNIT 2: TYPES AND GENRES OF LITERATURE

Genres of Literature (Genres of Literature, 2020)

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 2

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 3

Elements of Traditional Poetry

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 4

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 5

6. What is the basic difference between Prose and Poetry?

7. Songs are considered ___________.

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 6

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Overview of Literature 7

UNIT 1: THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces in Romance 8

1. Describe the persona (speaker) in the poem.

UNIT 2: THE NYMPHS REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces in Romance 9

1. Describe the persona (speaker) in the poem.

UNIT 3: SONNET 116

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere,

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces in Romance 10

UNIT 4: HOW DO I LOVE THEE?

AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: Elizabeth Barret-Browning was born in 1806. She is a Victorian

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? (SONNET 45)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. What is the view of the persona towards Love?

GEED 10223 | WORLD LITERATURE | Selected Literary Pieces in Romance 11

TONIGHT I CAN WRITE THE SADDEST LINES

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is shattered

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms

She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.

The same night whitening the same trees.