East Asian literature
Literature from this area emerges as a distinct and unique field of prose and poetry that embodies the cultural, social and political factors of each nation.
Prose within East Asian countries reflects the rich cultural heritage from which specificities of language, form and style shape writings.
For example, Japanese poets such as Yosano Hiroshi and Masaoka Shiki called for existing traditional forms of prose to be imbued with notions of patriotism and martial bravery, whereas in China, a "poetry revolution" was instituted in the late Qing reform movement, where literature contained strong undertones of nationalistic ideals and qualities.
Incorporating the predominant spiritual teachings of Confucius, literature often depicted Chinese involvement as harmonious, romanticising any expansionist and aggressive intentions.
[3] Literature became a tool to inculcate the public on aspects of a new socialist program that embodied the dissemination of writings on education, healthcare and religious beliefs in the new Mongolian state.
The complex contextual influences shaped how Mongolian writers sought to extract revolutionary sentiment from the tropes and genres of folk literature.
The rich nomadic culture within Mongolia also informed their literature, with prose becoming a manifestation of the deep-rooted connections and intimacy to the land, wildlife and environment.
East Asian poetry explores a diverse collection of themes, motifs and archetypes that are critical to a nuanced understanding of literary styles.
[4] For example, references regarding a Peach Blossom Spring, the chrysanthemum, and the five willows, influenced by T'ao Ch'ien's poetry are symbolic and representative of presenting an ideal place remote in time or space.
The recurring use of dichotomies reflects the spiritual teaching of Taoism, Chinese poetry often attributed gendered descriptions and metaphorical language to demark such differences.
[7] Similarly, this influence was seen present in other forms of literature, namely poetry, in the rendition and dramatization of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice renamed Contract of Flesh by Zheng Zhengqiu.
[8] Interestingly, the systemic appropriation of Western texts also gave rise to a fascist, pro-imperialist, and belligerently anti-Western discourse throughout China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
The constant flow of people, ideas and cultural products between East Asian nations, signals a broader exchange network which influenced the development of literature.
For example, Chinese vernacular novels, such as The Water Margin, The Story of the Stone, and Monkey, inspired the new genre in Japan called, "Yomihon"; historical romances written in prose.
This distortion of Ishikawa's work tells a completely different narrative of Japanese brutality while omitting any negative depiction of Chinese atrocities committed.
For example, within The Blue Chronicle by Koke Sudar, there are sections inspired by corresponding passages from Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or Cao Xuejin's Dream of the Red Chamber.
