Smoleňáková Klára

TIME TRAVEL IN LITERATURE

Literature in Ancient world

Genesis of literature bears ship to formation of the first refreshed civilizations. We can
consider Sumerian literature for the oldest one (Epic of Gilgamesh), and then there is Old-
Egyptian literature. These literatures come from Orient. The youngest literature of ancient
world is Jewish literature (Bible). Another Orient literature is Indian literature. There books
came into existence where are imaginations about world and space. Orient literatures are also
Persian and Chinese literature. Antique literature (Greek and Roman literature) is known by
origin of new genres, such as fable (Ezop), inly lyric (Sapfó – the first woman in literature),
tragedy (Sophocles), comedy (Aristophanes).

Literature in Middle Ages

Literature in Middle Ages (5th – 15th cent. B.C.) showed the need of belief in eternal
and supernal life. Earth-borned life is understood as mirror or shadow of eternal life. In time
of The Great Moravia came into existence the first slovan poem – Proglas by Saint Cyril.

Literature in Modern Times

Humanianism and Renaissance (14th – 17th cent.) is linked with origin of commons. It
means a comeback to human and supernal enjoyment and anxiety. “Place of birth“of this
literature is Italy (Dante, Boccaccio). Great authors were also in France (Villon, Rabelais), in
Spain (Cervantes, Lope de Vega), but Shakespeare is considered for the greatest author of this
period.
Baroque (16th – 18th cent.) is a reaction on previous period. In literature, the main
theme was the supernal life. The most important writers were Tasso (Italy), Milton (England),
and Grimmelshausen (Germany).
Desperaux divided genres into high (tragedy, ode, epicedium) and low (comedy, fable,
and satire) during Classicism (17th – 18th cent.). In Classicism, there was something important
for slovak people. It is codification of Slovak language by Bernolak and the first slovak novel
was made – René mláďenca príhodi a skúsenosti by Bajza.
 Authors of Romanticism (end of 18th – half of 19th cent.) did conflict ideal vs. real,
conflict life inside vs. life outside. They expressed loneliness and anxiety from being or
existence. Important persons in literature of romanticism were Hugo, Byron, Heine, Puškin,
Kráľ, and Sládkovič...
Literature from second half of 19th cent. to 20th years of 20th cent. is characteristic for
more styles, genres and opinions. The science and technology are more important than ever.
Romanticism is placed by Realism. Birth of Realism bearded ship to revolution of industry
and to improvement of science. In Europe were built museums, where were situated
discoveries of Antique culture, culture of Asia, Latin-America and culture of ancient Egypt.
In foreground are stories about social perversity, alcoholism and prostitution. In 90th years of
19th cent. influence of symbolism was bigger. Symbolism wanted to make an art what
permeates to fundamentals of reality through artist´s sense. In half of 19th cent. realism
demanded art to leave romantic dreams, to come back to reality. Important persons in
literature of Realism are Dickens, Stendhal, Maupassant, and Turgenev...
Period between 2 world wars is known by improvement of science and technology, by
new movements (avant-garde). Events of the World War I influenced a creation of artists. The
Lost generation is formed (Hemingway, Steinbeck). After ZSSR and Hitler´s Germany many
authors emigrated. The first half of 20th cent. was one of the most complicated periods of
human ages. After war people believed in better life, but on the other side human was means
of manipulation of strong countries. Young artists made a movement called Dadaism because
of aversion to war, Dadaism means coming back to child sense, its carefreedom is opposite of
misery of human being.
Literature after 1945 – Europe was divided into 2 parts, west block and east block
(socialistic). While west block acceded to pre-war movements, literature of east block was
socialistic realism. Each try about experiment was banned. America was only country of
many possibilities. John Steinbeck received Pulitzer prize for Grapes of Wrath. Another great
author is Jerome David Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye). In American poetry the Beat
Generation is formed in San Francisco (Jack Kerouac...). Authors in French literature
analyzed human in society = existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre). After World War II literary
movements, such as neorealism, antinovel, antidrama had also will be.

All movements show us complicate evolution of the world, they show us good and bad
qualities of society from Ancient world to today.