As explained in the previous lesson, the Middle East is the geographical origin to many religions. Due to the heavy religious culture, many Middle Eastern texts are religious and focus on the deity of different religions. Middle Easterners classify much of the religious texts as Wisdom literature. Wisdom literature is a genre of literature that teaches about divinity and virtue.

The most famous books of Wisdom literature are found in the Bible and the Qur'an. For example, Psalms, Job, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes among other books serve as Wisdom literature. Remember to use the Genre Term Reference Sheet in the sidebar when needing assistance in remembering a certain term associated with a particular genre.

The Bible is a collection of texts that the Jewish and Christian faiths view as sacred. Different religious groups include certain books in the Bible that belongs to their particular faith. The Bible divides into the Old and New Testaments, and each book has different authors. In the Jewish faith, the focus is on God and the law. In the Christian faith, the belief is that Jesus is the Son of God and teaches about following Jesus.

The Qur'an

The Qur'an is the central religious text of Islam, which is one of the main religions in the Middle East. Stylistically, the Qur'an is like saj' or close to the saj' form. Saj' is rhymed prose—the rhythm is not consistent, so saj' cannot be classified as poetry. Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Chapters in the Qur'an are called suras, and verses are called ayahs. The Qur'an has many similar stories that The Bible has, but they may have modifications.

Poetry

Poetry serves as a widespread genre throughout the Middle East, especially during the beginnings of Middle Eastern literature. Arabic poetry appears in two categories: classical poetry and modern poetry. Classical poetry follows traditional style and structure and modern poetry, appearing after the Renaissance, does not follow the traditional structure and might incorporate themes that did not previously appear in classical poetry. Poetry serving as Wisdom literature falls under the category of Classical poetry.

Reading Assignment: Wisdom Poetry

The key to Wisdom literature is to tell a story while offering wisdom and ideas on how to live life in light of divine teachings. Read the two pieces of poetry, found in the Wisdom Poetry document. Click here to access the Wisdom Poetry document. Links to an external site. Please note the lessons and religious undertones. Also, attempt to connect how the chosen religion of society might affect an individual's faith and whom they praise.

Wisdom Poetry Interactivity

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