For this unit, select and respond to one of the following writing assignments. Write a three to five-page (1,250-word) essay for your response. Please be sure to cite all your sources. Please upload your essay to this dropbox.
1) Songs and poetry were interwoven in ancient Egyptian culture, and today they are found on the walls and in the scrolls of ancient elaborate funerary monuments. Discuss how music, poetry and even dance worked together in this context. You will want to discuss the introduction of lyric poetry in New Kingdom Egypt, analyze one short example of ancient Egyptian poetry that best characterizes the style, and describe some of the visual records we have today of the related musical instruments. You may find examples of poetry online or in your local library or bookstore.
2) The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the world’s first epic, which is a long, verse narrative poem that was recited orally long before it was finally written down in Sumer in the late third millennium. Discuss in detail the significance of the work, and explore the images of Gilgamesh on the Lyre from Ur, c. 2600 B.C. (British Museum, London). Discuss how this lyre reflects the musical and literary connections found in ancient Mesopotamian culture.
3) Please examine how the Bhagavad-Gita reveals the fundamental teachings of Hinduism. You will find an overview of the Bhagavad-Gita in your Fiero textbook, but please consult a more complete version of the text. The Bhagavad-Gita is available Online here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. How is this poem written to express its ideas in a lyrical format?
4) What is Daoism? Daoism is discussed in your textbook as the “most eloquent expression of the natural order as it relates to humankind…” Please discuss these principles of natural order as first established in ancient Chinese philosophy, and how the style of poetry conforms to the basic ideals of the Daoists.
