LIT 2205 - Poetry and Drama of Japan in Translation

FDR: Literature Distribution (HL)
Credits: 3

This course is designed to introduce students to the poetry and theater of Japan’s premodern era. We examine classical themes and poetic art forms, and read from the vast canon of Japanese poetry. Readings cover major poets such as Hitomaro, Komachi, Teika, Saigyo, Sogi and Basho. The second part of the course offers a close study of the four traditional dramatic art forms of Japan: Noh, Kyogen or Comic Theater, Puppet Theater, and Kabuki. Students experience the performative aspect of the Noh theater by learning dance movements and song/chant from the play Yuya . The final part of the course demonstrates how classical theater has influenced modern playwrights and novelists.