1001 Nights, The Odyssey, and The Pillow Book

What I found most interesting about the three readings was how the style of writing was very cohesive between the pieces, despite being written in different parts of the world. For their respective country, each work seems to be one of those stories that is consistently passed on throughout time. The meanings and messages hold as much weight today as they did during the time they were written. The three readings would have also, obviously, had to have been translated into English at some point. Being originally works of Greece, China, and the Middle East, these pieces were not originally meant to have been read in English. Since word choice and the way certain words sound together is a huge factor in a work of literature, translating a piece into a different language would presumably not carry the same poise as its original. However, translating the work from the its respective language into English didn’t seem to hinder the written voice of the time period, as it was still able to shine through.
Something I also found fascinating was how writing styles have changed so significantly throughout the years, but the works themselves stand the test of time. The Odyssey is an epic poem that is still pertinent in education today, as I’ve read it for multiple English classes. 1001 Nights has also been adapted into movies since being written; Disney’s Aladdin is probably the most well known example. With these works being written hundreds, even thousands of years ago, it’s amazing how the meanings behind their words and how those words were written still seems relevant today. What I wonder most is if the writing styles of today will be perceived with such beauty and grace as those thousands of years ago.