Session 10 World Literature Prepared by: Ms. Jen N. Deyto, MAEd 9. Israeli Literature 9.

1 Brief History of Israeli Literature 9.2 Literary Focus 9.2.1 Stated Theme 9.2.2 Mood 9.2.3 Selected Literary Articles - Psalm 23 by King David - The Prodigal Son (Holy Bible) Luke 15: 11-32

Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: 1. give the theme and mood of Psalm 23 and Parable of the Lost Son; 2. discuss the importance of prayer; 3. evaluate the love a father has to his son; and 4. identify the theme and mood of the selections.

The history of Hebrew literature in Israel is actually made up of many histories, which can be traced back to literature written outside of Israel. The history of Israels Hebrew literature is bound up with questions of identity and self-understanding. It reflects tensions between tradition and modern processes of secularization, between homeland and exile, hegemonic culture and the peripheries, as well as ethnicity and gender differences. On the other hand, the history of Hebrew literature in Israel can also be viewed as a one-directional movement and a transition from an exilic landless literature to a literature written on the land of pre-state Israel to an established corpus written in the State of Israel (known as Israeli literature). Israel is known as the Jewish Republic of Asia. It is surrounded by the Arab States of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Israel is a part of the historic land of Palestine which is believed as the Hold Land where the Jewish and Christian faith began. Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel . It is considered the holy city for the Christians and for the Jews (Hebrews). The Hebrew literature is considered one of the oldest living literatures in the world. The Bible is regarded as the noblest monument of the ancient literature. It is a collection of books of universal appeal because of their poetic features and devices. It contains passages of religious as well as literary significance. The psalms are the most popular and greatest collection of religious poetry. This poetry is not rhymed

compared to the other poetry found all over the world, however, its text structure parallelism-

its balance symmetry is apparent. The 23rd psalm is the most beloved of the Psalms and is, perhaps, the most loved chapter in the entire Bible. Many hear this in on sermons at funerals, but it is a shame because this is not only for the dead but also for the living. It is a psalm for you and me to apply to our every day life. The purpose of this passage is to help us more clearly understand the imagery used to convey comfort and calm to the soul of those who are a part of Gods flock by faith in Jesus Christ. The 23rd psalm helps us explore new ways in which its truth can be applied to our lives. Furthermore, since we are all to be shepherds of Gods flock in the broadest sense, we can learn a great deal not only about our Shepherd, but also about shepherding.

David is identified in the superscription as the author of the psalm. David was a shepherd in his youth (Sam.16:11; 17:15, 28, 34-36). Davids shepherding days (like those of his predecessor Moses, cf.Exod.3:1) served to prepare him for shepherding Gods flock, the nation Israel: He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance(Ps.78:70-71). There were discussions that tell us that David wrote this psalm when he was still a boy tending his fathers flock, but because of the depth of this lead us to believe that this was written in his youth which is referred to in verses 4-5. In verse 6, house of the Lord is in reference to the temple, which shows us that it is a hope of David in his later life not in youth.

An author usually writes a story or poem in order to communicate a general message about life. The message may state a moral truth or it may be a general observation about nature, society, or human behavior. The message is the theme, or the main idea. Some stories have a stated theme, a theme announces directly. Such theme is often stated in a sentence in the beginning or near the end of the story. It may be expressed by one of the characters or by the author. A story with a stated theme usually has details that support the theme.

Mood (also called atmosphere or ambiance) is the emotional feeling inspired by a work. The term is used to describe the dominant mood of a selection as it is created by diction, dialogue, setting, and description. In a drama, novel or short story, often the opening of a scene or the beginning of a novel or short story presents an atmosphere that is appropriate to the theme of the entire work.

Literary Focus: Music in Poetry Poems and songs are close cousins. Long ago, poems were not just recited; they were often sung. The poets song was accompanied by, and meaning and music were closely combined. Though poets no longer play music a harp like instrument, and meaning and music were closely combined. Though poets no longer play music with their poems, the songlike qualities of poetry remain. For example, like some songs, some poems have refrain, a line or group of lines repeated at regular intervals. A Psalm of David The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul : he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The blessings and the calmness of soul which David experienced in his life and expressed in this psalm would be a delight to anyone, but how can we be assured of them in our lives? The answer is almost too simple to believe: in order to enjoy the benefits of the care of the Good Shepherd we must be one of His sheep. The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known stories of Jesus. It is popularly known as the story of the prodigal son, though the word prodigal is not found in Scripture. The son is characterized as lost which emphasizes that sinners are separated from God. This characteristic of the son as prodigal tells you that he portrays a wayward lifestyle. Truly, this particular parable has many points to bring out concerning the nature of man and God. The word prodigal may be defined as rashly or wastefully extravagant. The son in the story showed this behavior with his way of managing his share of his fathers properties. Because he was not yet ready to handle such big amount of inheritance from his father, he squandered his wealth in wild living then, began to be in need. The usual behavior of a person who is not morally and spiritually formed is always toward lust and greed and extravagance of all kinds. Without God we spend our resources and energies until we are useless and empty. When the younger son found himself in this situation, he remained in the far country working in an unworthy job and willing to eat the food he was feeding to the pigs which were under his care. When you remain in a place of alienation or separation from God, you go down into uselessness, darkness, and humiliation. Read the full text of the Parable below:

continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found'" References Alcantara, Rebecca. World literature: An adventure in human experience.(QuezonCity: Katha Publishing Co. Inc., 2000. Bascara, L. R. World Literature: A tertiary textbook for literature under the new curriculum. Manila: Rex Bookstore, 2003. Canticle of the Sun. (Retrieved on January 8, 2012 from www.webster.edu/~barrettb/canticle.htm ). Dante Alighieri Biography and Works.(Retrieved on February 9, 2012 from www.onlineliterature. com/dante/). Dantes Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. (Retrieved on February 9, 2012 from www.divinecomedy.org/ ). Francesco Petrarca Biography: Italian Poet of Early Renaissance . Retrieved on January 5, 2012 from telasiado.suite101.com ... Great Writers ).

Francesco Petrarch to Posterity. (Retrieved on April 30, 2012 from petrarch.petersadlon.com/read_letters.html?s.). Guiyab, R.G. Philippine Literature: Beyond Forgetting. Makati City: Grandwater Publication, 2005. Introducing Literature. California, USA: Glencoe Publishing Company, 1989. Oak, M. Importance of Literature. (Retrieved July 30, 2010 from www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-literature.html). Saint Francis of Assisi. (Retrieved on Februaru 9, 2012 from www.americancatholic.org/.../default.aspx?id=..). Tan, Arsenia B. Introduction to Literature. 3rd Edition, Academic Publishing Corporation, 1995. Tendero, Edwin et al. The World Masterpieces in Literature. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc., 2010.