CHAPTER 2

EGYPT- GIFT OF THE NILE

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this topic/chapter, you must be able to:
1. Identify Imagery, symbols and themes in poems.
2.Describe the Authors’ style in conveying messages.
3.Relate the folktales to situations and experiences.

Egypt, country located in the northeastern corner of Africa. Egypt’s heartland, the Nile
River valley and delta, was the home of one of the principal civilizations of the ancient Middle
East and, like Mesopotamia farther east, was the site of one of the world’s earliest urban and
literate societies. Pharaonic Egypt thrived for some 3,000 years through a series of native
dynasties that were interspersed with brief periods of foreign rule. After Alexander the
Great conquered the region in 323 BCE, urban Egypt became an integral part of the Hellenistic
world. Under the Greek Ptolemaic
dynasty, an advanced literate society thrived
in the city of Alexandria, but what
is now Egypt was conquered by the
Romans in 30 BCE. It remained part of the
Roman Republic and Empire and then part
of Rome’s successor state, the Byzantine
Empire, until its conquest by Arab
Muslim armies in 639–642 CE.
Egypt is called the Gift of the Nile by
the famous Greek historian Herodotus
.There are many myths associated with the
Nile, including that the Nile is the gift of the
gods, and that its flood season begins with the
appearance of the brightest star; when it overflows, it brings prosperity and fertility; the gods
control the river, and the deity Khnum is the lord of the water who brings prosperity and creates
humans from the mud of the Nile River flood; the deity Habi controls the flood of the Nile
because he is both genders and therefore very fertile; parts of the body of the severed god Osiris
is in the Nile; and that the Nile’s flood and its decline were linked to the death and resurrection
of Osiris and the myth of worshiping the Nile animals (the crocodile deity Sobek).

Literature
Literature had initially sprung from religious beliefs but by the nineteenth dynasty
involved many different styles including instructions, love poetry, and narrative. Mortuary
writing was one of the first genres of Egyptian writing, first appearing as basic accounts and then
growing into tomb autobiography. One of the most famous examples of this is The Book of the
Dead, in Egyptian the Coming forth by Day. This is a collection of hymns, spells, and advice to
help the deceased in the afterlife. It was most often written on a papyrus scroll and richly
illustrated. A person would prepare for their death by paying a large sum for the creation of a
copy by specialist scribes, sometimes costing as much as half a year’s wage. From it, historians
have a very detailed picture of Egyptian religious beliefs and afterlife. Unlike most modern
religious texts it was not considered to be divine inspiration and therefore unchangeable but
evolved slowly from pyramid texts and coffin texts.

Sebayt was another genre at the time. It is often translated as Instructions or Teachings and they
contain ethical rules and ways of living. Many are addressed to a specific person such as from a
father to a son, but these were not necessarily created by the attributed author It is comparable to
other sophist literature such as Proverbs in the bible. Many of the sebayt papyri that survive are
copies of older works, dating back to the Middle kingdom but it is impossible to tell when they
were first composed as it is thought that they were falsely attributed to earlier times to give them
greater authority. From them, it is possible to gain an understanding of the structure of Egyptian
society and the ethical and philosophical ideas of the time.
Love poetry from nineteenth and twentieth dynasty Egypt has survived on 3 papyri, a vase, and
about 20 ostraca. It was lyrical in form, similar to hymns such as those in the book of the dead,
but without rhyme like modern poetry. Like much ancient poetry it would probably have been set
to music. By this time it had developed a sophisticated structure, sometimes narrative in nature.
The poems were often from a first person perspective as this one is and the lovers addressed each
other as brother and sister. This is a curious example of how important family was to the
Egyptians. It was also common to use symbolism form the natural world which sustained their
way of life through agriculture: for example, The Nile, crops, animals and plants.

Tales
The Tale of Two Brothers was a narrative myth detailing how Bata and Anpu, two brothers, fight
and reconcile over love and how eventually Bata becomes Pharaoh. It survived on the nineteenth
dynasty papyrus D’Orbiney by the scribe Ennana, which had belonged to Seti II. It reveals much
about the everyday role of the family and the structure of the household in Egyptian Culture as
well as Pharaoh succession. There is speculation that it may have been a political satire based on
Seti and his brother but too little of the events at the time are known to reach any definitive
conclusion. The names Bata and Anpu are from Local Gods in upper Egypt which suggest that it
was more based in mythology than politics.

The story of Horus and Seth, like the Tale of Two brothers, is a myth in the form of a story.
Horus is the nephew of Seth and tries to reclaim his father’s right to the throne of Egypt after
Seth murdered him. This form of narrative religion with the gods’ interaction mirroring humans
is comparable to the Greek myths. Many aspects of the story influenced Egyptian religion, such
as the Eye of Horus, which was supposed to have been lost and regained by Horus in a struggle
with Seth. It also demonstrates the ideals that Egyptian society was based on. Seth was the God
of chaos and disorder and was opposed to the pharaoh when it came to ruling over Egypt but was
often invoked when embarking on a war.

Forms of Egyptian Writing

Hieroglyphs

The ancient Egyptians used the distinctive script known today as hieroglyphs (Greek
for "sacred words") for almost 4,000 years. Hieroglyphs were written on papyrus, carved in
stone on tomb and temple walls, and used to decorate many objects of cultic and daily life use.
Altogether there are over 700 different hieroglyphs, some of which represent sounds or
syllables; others that serve as determinatives to clarify the meaning of a word. The hieroglyphic
script originated shortly before 3100 B.C., at the very onset of pharaonic civilization. The last
hieroglyphic inscription in Egypt was written in the 5th century A.D., some 3500 years later. For
almost 1500 years after that, the language was unable to be read. In 1799, the Rosetta Stone
was discovered in Egypt by Napoleon's troops. The Rosetta Stone is a trilingual decree (written
in hieroglyphs, Greek, and Demotic) dating to the time of Ptolemy V (205-180 B.C.). Its
discovery proved to be a crucial link in unlocking the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphs and in
1822, enabling Jean-François Champollion to re-decipher the hieroglyphic signs, thereby
allowing the modern study of Egyptian language to begin.

Hieratic

While hieroglyphs are quite beautiful, they must have been very time consuming for scribes to
write. The Egyptians invented a cursive form of hieroglyphs known as hieratic, which was used
primarily for writing with reed brushes, and later reed pens, on papyri and ostraca (fragments
of pottery or stone used as writing surfaces). This system of writing was used alongside
hieroglyphs for most of Egyptian history.

Demotic

An even more cursive form of script was invented during the 26th Dynasty (664-525 B.C.).
Known as Demotic, this form of writing was used at first primarily for administrative
documents, letters, and tax records. Eventually it came to be used for literary and religious
texts as well.

Coptic

Late in Egyptian history, the language known as Coptic, the final phase of development of the
ancient Egyptian language, came into being. Using grammar that was very similar to its Demotic
predecessor, Coptic used the Greek alphabet plus a few signs derived from Demotic to form its
alphabet. Like the earlier Egyptian scripts, Coptic did not show breaks between the words.
Although it is no longer spoken, a dialect of Coptic is still used in services of the Coptic church
much in the same way Latin was long used by the Roman Catholic Church.

Meroitic

The writing system for the Meroitic language of Nubia appeared around the 2nd century B.C.
The alphabet consisted of a combination of hieroglyphic signs and cursive letters. Although the
individual signs can be pronounced, the Meroitic language is still not fully understood and its
texts are waiting to be deciphered and read.

Egyptian Poetry

To Whom should I Speak

I.
To whom should I speak today?
Brothers are evil;
The friends of today love not.
II.
To whom should I speak today?
Hearts are covetous;
Every man plundereth the goods of his fellow.
III.
To whom should I speak today?
The peaceful man is in evil case;
Good is cast aside everywhere.
IV.
To whom should I speak today?
Yesterday is forgotten;
Me do not as they were done by nowadays.
V.
To whom should I speak today?
There is no heart of man
Whereon one might lean.
VI.
To whom should I speak today?
The righteous are no more;
The land is given over to evil-doers.
VII.
To whom should I speak today?
There is a lack of confidants;
Men have recourse to a stranger to tell their troubles.
VIII.
To whom should I speak today?
I am laden with misery,
And am without a comforter.
 The poem shows distrust of fellowmen. It voices the idea that problems in human
relations were as acute then as they are now. The poem tells about someone who has been
experiencing such sorrow,yet ,he does not know to whom should he speak, to whom should throw up all
his regrets, to whom should he confine himself for the brutal acts he had done before. He considers
everyone as brothers but the irony is that these brothers does the otherwise from what a brother
normally does. And that love dos not exist anymore among his former fellows. He had also suggested
from the poem that many fellows today ransack each of his fellow's life, and there no place for such
brotherly love. Love has faded away and what is left is brutality. He also adds that men do not as they
were done by nowadays, this implies that people change over a period of time but this change is unlikely
for the better and thus, suggests the otherwise. Moreover, he expresses that most of the people are not
to be trusted with. And that everyone cannot be relied , and we cannot hold or lean on to anybody in
this time. And a 'righteous' fellow does not exist anymore, and what lives in their land are evil doers.
And on the last part he suggests that sorrows are to be said bitterly to a stranger. He considers strangers
as his avenue for his discomforts to breath out and release.
In terms of structure, the poem's tone is of misery, discomforts, and filled with
heartaches. As I was reading the poem, I was drawing out a picture in my thoughts of a fellow
with firearms, and was eventually caught in the post-partum graveyard or the remains of a war.
He expresses the thought that they are men of violence, they do not consider their brothers in
this mundane. But after all, he is filled with regrets and he nags to himself with the thought that
to whom should confine his agonies given that he could trust no one. I can feel the sincerity of
the speaker. The constant repetition of to whom should I speak today, is method of
foregrounding and he wants to give an emphasis to that idea. The latter statement gives the
conclusion that the speaker's soul is in between anger and depression. The words he used are
simple, yet, suggest a very deep and substantive thoughts that could let every reader feel the
way he feels though his emotions were not provocatively expressed. There is a sense of
parallelism in the poem and what we could note from the constant and equidistant positions of
the foregrounded idea.
About the Author
He Walketh by Day

About the Author

Robert Hillyer (1895–1961)

Robert Silliman Hillyer was

born in East Orange, New Jersey.
A graduate of Harvard
University, he was editor of the
Harvard Advocate and part of the
group known as the Harvard
Aesthetes. During World War I, he
served as an ambulance driver
alongside his classmate John Dos
Passos. After the war, Hillyer taught
English at Harvard. He received
the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1934 for his Collected Verse and was named Boylston
Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory in 1937. After leaving Harvard in 1945, he taught at
Kenyon College and the University of Delaware.

Hillyer’s collections of poetry include Eight Harvard Poets (1917), which

included work by E.E. Cummings and John Dos Passos; Sonnets and Other Lyrics
(1917); The Five Books of Youth (1920); Alchemy: A Symphonic Poem (1920); The
Halt in the Garden (1925); A Letter to Robert Frost and Others (1937); In a Time of
Mistrust (1939); Pattern of a Day (1940); My Heart for Hostage (1942); The Death of
Captain Nemo (1949); The Suburb by the Sea: New Poems (1952); and Collected Poems
(1961).

Hillyer was a proponent of traditional forms in his own work and the work of
others. He wrote many sonnets and, in A Letter to Robert Frost and Others, compiled a
collection of seven verse letters in rhymed couplets. The letters were addressed to Frost,
whom he admired; friends and professors; his son; and Queen Nefertiti. He was critical of
Modernist poets and particularly opposed Ezra Pound’s Bollingen Prize in light of
Pound’s past support of fascism.
B. Egyptian Folktales ( Ancient Egypt)

The Tale of Sinuhe

The Story of Sinuhue was written during the ancient Egyptian period and is one of the earliest
known literary texts. The narrative follows the protagonist, Sinuhe, who was an assistant to King
Amenemhat I during the early 20th Century BC. After the death of the King, he panics and flees
Egypt for Syria, encountering problems along the way.
At first, he becomes part of a tribe called the Renetu and marries the
leader's eldest daughter. He ages and has children, but still wants to
go back to Egypt. Later, he is approached by a warrior who was sent
to kill him and agrees to duel with him. He is victorious and considers
going back home to Egypt. After this, he receives a letter from the new
King of Egypt but has some apprehension due to his departure.
After heading to Egypt, Sinhue is accepted by the King and is given a
place to stay. He is told to change his appearance but is forgiven by the
King for his earlier departure and is even offered a prestigious
position. It is unknown whether this story is about a real- life person or
whether it is a fictional tale. This being said, academics generally agree
that it is most likely fiction and not based on real events.

Analysis

The Story of Sinuhe is an important literary text and is held up as an example of

great Egyptian literature. It tells the story of a man who flees his home country due to
fear, and after some years he returns to live out his old age. The story encompasses
plenty of age-old themes, such as the meaning of home and the yearning to return there
if one has left.

Sinhuhe's story has been compared to a number of classical texts, including Shakespeare's
Hamlet. The story has also been compared to a few biblical stories, most notably the parable of
the Prodigal Son and the story of David and Goliath. As we might conclude from this, The Story
of Sinuhe contains archetypal themes and stories, which can be seen in many classical texts.
This includes the return of a protagonist after leaving home, the victory of the weaker party in a
battle, and the sacrifices one must make to fulfill their duties

The Story of Sinuhe was written at a time when formal writing was being developed properly
and was written in the form of hieroglyphs. This is one of the most well-known pieces to come
out of this period, and it can be dated to the early 20th Century BC due to the mention of King
Amenhotep I. The text interestingly tells us a great deal about life in Egyptian times, and how
societies functioned. In a less practical sense, it also tells us about prominent beliefs at the
time, such as religious, spiritual, and philosophical teachings. Although it is not known whether
Sinuhe actually existed in real-life, his story can give us an insight into what life was like in
ancient Egypt.

The Tale of the Doomed Prince

The story goes as follows: The king of Egypt was very sad that a son had not yet been born to
him. The king prays to the gods, and that night his wife conceives a child. When the king's son is
born the seven Hathors (goddesses, who pronounce the fate of each child at birth) foretell that
he will die either by crocodile, snake or dog. His father, afraid for his son’s safety, builds his son
an isolated palace in the mountains, so as to keep him away from danger.
The prince sees from his palace, a man with a dog. He asks his father for a dog. The king warily
gives the prince a dog, not wishing his son to be unhappy. When the prince grows up, he
decides to face his doom, travelling abroad to Nahrin. There he meets a group of young men
competing for the heart of the princess. The prince succeeds in winning the heart of a princess
by jumping (possibly flying) to the window of the room where the princess is locked up. The
prince did not tell the king the truth about himself, but said he was the son of a charioteer, and
explained that he had had to leave home because of his new stepmother. Eventually the king
agrees to let the prince-in-disguise marry his daughter, after seeing the merits of the young
man.
After marrying the princess he tells her of his three doom
s, and of his prince-hood. She urges him to kill the dog, but the prince cannot bear to kill the
dog he has raised from a puppy. His wife
watches over him dutifully, and stops a snake
from biting the prince in his sleep. Thus, one of
the prince’s fates is defeated. Some time after
that the prince goes for a walk with his dog.
The dog began speaking (the dog possibly bites
the prince), and told the prince he was meant
to be killed by the dog. Fleeing from the dog,
he runs to a lake where he is seized by a
crocodile who, instead of killing him, enlists his
help in its fight against a demon (or a water
spirit). [This is where the tale breaks off].

The Eloquent Peasant

The story begins with a poor peasant, Khun-Anup, traveling to market with his donkeys heavily
laden with goods to exchange for supplies for his family. While Khun-Anup was en route,
Nemtynakht, a vassal of the high steward Rensi, notices the peasant approaching his lands and
devises a scheme to steal Khun-Anup's donkeys and supplies. Nemtynakht tricks the peasant by
placing a cloth on the narrow public path, where one side was bordered by the river and the
other side were the private fields of Nemtynakht. His placing of the cloth on the path forces the
peasant to either trample the cloth, step into the water, or take his donkeys over Nemtynakht's
fields in order to continue his journey. As Khun-Anup is appealing to Nemtynakht's sense of
reason in blocking his path with the cloth, one of Khun-Anup's donkeys eats a bite of barley,
and Nemtynakht uses this as a justification to take Khun-Anup's donkeys and goods. When
Khun-Anup complains this punishment is unfair, Nemtynakht beats him. Khun-Anup cries out
for justice, and Nemtynakht threatens the peasant with death if he dares to complain.[7] Khun-
Anup does not accept this injustice and continues to appeal to Nemtynakht for ten days.

Failing to receive justice from Nemtynakht, Khun-

Anup seeks out the high steward, the noble Rensi son of
Meru, and presents his case.[8] Rensi brings the peasant's
case to the magistrates, who dismiss the case as merely
being a matter of a peasant at odds with a
landowner, but Rensi does not relay this information to the
peasant.[8][9] Rensi brings the story of the wronged peasant
before the pharaoh, Nebkaure (who is believed to be
NebkaureKhety[10][11]), telling him how elegantly the
peasant speaks. Intrigued by the report of a peasant who
speaks so elegantly, the pharaoh instructs Rensi to not
respond to the peasant's pleas, so that the peasant would
continue to make his elegant speeches and they could
be written down for the pharaoh. The pharaoh orders
Rensi to feed the peasant and his family while the peasant
continues to plead his case, further instructing Rensi not
to let the peasant know he was providing the food.[9]
 For nine days Khun-Anup complimented the high steward Rensi and begged for justice.
After nine days of speeches, Khun-Anup threatened suicide.[12] After sensing that he was being
ignored, Khun-Anup insulted Rensi and was punished with a beating. After one last speech, the
discouraged peasant left, but Rensi sent for him and ordered him to return. But rather than
being punished for his insolence, the peasant was given justice. Rensi, after reading Khun-
Anup's last speech, was impressed and ordered the donkeys and the goods to be returned to
Khun-Anup and the peasant to be compensated with all the property of Nemtynakht, making
Nemtynakht as poor as Khun-Anup had been.
Name: Jay Akbar Paglangan Subject: Survey of Afro-Asian Literature
Yrs/Crs/Sec: 2BSE-English A Date: 4/6/2021

Professor: Sol Nhe Sitago

Formative Assessment 1

To Whom Should I Speak Today

1. The poems tone is ____________________.

a. desolation b. anxiety c. determination c. comfort
2. Enumerate 4 reasons of the speaker’s distrust to fellowmen.
The following are 4 reasons of the speaker’s distrust to his fellowmen based on the poem:
➢ Brother’s today are not
➢ Goodness is cast aside
➢ Brothers are evil
➢ Every man plunders the goods of his fellow
3. Why do you think the speaker keeps on repeating the line “To whom should I speak today?”
The constant repetition of “to whom should I speak today” I think is the author’s way of
emphasis to the idea of him distrusting his fellowmen. It is like a foregrounding reminder before
he states his reason for men being untrustworthy.

4. To whom should I speak Today

The righteous are no more
The land is given over to evil doers These lines mean
a. Our world is colonized by criminals c. Our land is filled wit profane
individuals
b. We are ruled by wicked leaders d. We are burdened by blameless rulers

He Walketh by Day

1. In the poem”HeWalketh By Day”, the sycamore symbolizes

a. will of God b. door to God c. a fig tree d. foundation of faith
2. What is the man’s prayer to the Lord in” He Walketh by Day”?
a. overflowing material blessing c. divine guidance and protection
b. complete healing d. strengthened faith and spiritual maturity
3When the sky is illumined with Crystals
Then gladden my road and broaden my path and clothe me in light.
Illumined means a. obscure b. cloud over c. blacken d. lighten up
4. What is the prayer of the man as revealed in the lines found in item no. 37?
a. protection b. affection c. deliverance d. provision

5. Why is it entitled “HeWalketh by Day?’

Honestly, I am not sure as why it was titled he walketh by day. But one thing was for certain and
that is the author must be in the darkness that what he can only do is to pray and seek help for
guidance and protection. Therefore, assume that the poem was entitled he walketh by day to refer
to his one whom he is seeking for help
Tale of Sinuhe

1. “The Tale of Sinuhe” opens with the narrator (Sinuhe) introducing himself as a henchman who
serves the Royal Consort of Sesostris, the daughter of __________.
a. Osiris b. Agamemnon c. Amenemmes d. Imhotep

2. When Sinuhe first heard of the king’s death, what was his primary emotion?
a. Happiness b. Sadness c. Excitement d. Dread

3. Near the end of his life, what does Sinuhe most wish to do?
a. Get wives and money c. Move to Rome
b. Cheat death d. Return to Egypt

4. What does the king of Egypt say when Sinuhe asks to return? (I’m paraphrasing, of course.)
a. Stay where you are, traitor c. You can only come if you prove yourself
b. Convince me d. Sure, you did nothing wrong, come on home

5. What does the king NOT promise Sinuhe upon his return?
a. Funeral dancers c.A fancy sarcophagus
b. An offering list in his name d. A pyramid

6. What explanation does Sinuhe give for his run from Egypt?
a. He was scared c. Someone told him to go
b. Someone pursued him d. None of the above; he just left

Tale of the Doomed Prince

1.The best theme of the Tale of the Doomed Prince is

a. Everything is well-planned by the creator
b. you could not escape destiny; it will always follow
c. No one is perfect, even you, so learn to forgive
d. An act of evil can lead into distrust
3-5. Enumerate the three animals in which the prince was doomed to die.

The three animals in which the prince was doomed to die:

➢ Dog
➢ Snake
➢ Crocodile

Tale of the Eloquent Peasant

1. In the “Eloquent Peasant” what made King Amenemhet convince of the peasant’s innocence?
a. insurmountable effort in the farm c. magnificent petition of land owner
b. notable speaking ability d. pitiful beg for justice
2In “The Eloquent Peasant” why was Khun-Anup charged of damaging Meritensa’s property?
a.Khun-Anup and his donkey trampled over the crops
b. Nemtynakht indicted Khun-Anup of trickery and theft
c.The King was angry of his blunt speech
d.His rhetorical powers annoyed Nemtynakht
3. Explain the reason why Khun-anup was charged of destroying the fields of
Nemtynakht.

First and foremost, Khun-anup did not destroy the fields of Nemtynakht, it was just made to
seems like that because Nemtynakht indicted Khun-Anup of trickery. He was only charged of
destroying the fields because of the trickery of Nemtynakht who planned to still the donkey and
goods of Khun-anup.
Name: Jay Akbar Paglangan Subject: Survey of Afro-Asian Literature
Yrs/Crs/Sec: 2BSE-English A Date: 4/6/2021

Professor: Sol Nhe Sitago

Chapter/Module 1 Summary

Egyptian literature doesn't get much attention, especially compared to its art and architecture.
Most of what has been written in the ancient Egyptian language consists of spells, incantations,
lists, medical and scientific texts and descriptions of the netherworld. The ancient Egyptians
produced fables, heroic tales, love poems and descriptions of battles but nothing that has stood
the test of time like the Greek myths or Homer's epics.
The genre of "tales and stories" is probably the least represented genre from surviving
literature of the Middle Kingdom and Middle Egyptian.[95] In Late Egyptian literature, "tales and
stories" comprise the majority of surviving literary works dated from the Ramesside Period of
the New Kingdom into the Late Period. Major narrative works from the Middle Kingdom
include the Tale of the Court of King Cheops, King Neferkare and General Sasenet, The
Eloquent Peasant, Story of Sinuhe, and Tale of the shipwrecked sailor. These tales are non-
commemorative, non-functional, fictional narratives" that usually employ the key word
"narrate". These are most open-ended genre, since the tales often incorporate elements of other
literary genres
Narrative tales and stories are most often found on papyri, but partial and sometimes
complete texts are found on ostraca. For example, Sinuhe is found on five papyri composed
during the Twelfth and Thirteenth dynasties.[106] This text was later copied numerous times on
ostraca during the Nineteenth and Twentieth dynasties, with one ostraca containing the complete
text on both sides.

Name: Jay Akbar Paglangan Subject: Survey of Afro-Asian Literature

Yrs/Crs/Sec: 2BSE-English A Date: 4/6/2021

Professor: Sol Nhe Sitago

Summative Assessment 1

To Whom should I speak Today

1. The poem voices the idea that problems in human relations were as acute then as they
are now. Why? Give evidence from the poem.
As what the poem had stated human relation before and today as acute as ever the fact that
until now we cannot fully trust our fellowmen because we are afraid of getting betrayed or
stab at the back. The poem stated along this line “the friends today love not”. The statement
tells us that there is no more true friend; that people’s affections are fake and can only be
felt with purpose. “Peaceful man is in evil case, righteous are no more, the land is given
over to the evil-doers”. Looking at the statements stated, human relations were really
severe, that it will really be hard to build them since righteousness is being isolated much
more we are ruled by unworthy people. Human relations are acute because as stated in the
poem, our fellowmen has no more heart in them.

2.Cite one practical situation where you have experienced such sorrow ,yet ,you do not
know to whom should you speak, to whom should throw up all your regrets, to whom
should you confine himself for the brutal acts you had done before.
Getting from my experienced relating to the poem “to whom should I speak today”, I’ll say
that it was during my first time stay in Midsayap away from my parents. During that time, I
was really lonely because there was no one to talk to. My problems piled up and there were
lots of things that I must done. I have neither friends nor anyone that can converse with me.
Moreover, I was having a hard time understanding the Ilonggo language. And since there
was nothing I can do about my situation, I just with it and struggle with the loneliness
myself

3. Do you think this problem in human relations can be rectified? How?

Well truthfully, it depends upon the people. For instance, if there is, it is through
eradicating the greediness of the men, through allowing oneself to be contented and
satisfied of what they had, and mostly to stop the deceptions of people toward their
fellowmen and learn to accept and adjust. But like what I have said, it will still depend on
the people. The severe human connection can be rectified if man changes for good and not
for the worse.

4. Describe the author’s style in conveying his message.

Analyzing the poem, anyone can say that some style used by the author in conveying his
message through the poem was his use of constant repetitions of the title of his poem
reminding his reader of the human connections. Moreover, the author did not used
profound word in his poem making sure that his reader could understand the message his
conveying.

He Walketh by Day

1. Create a one sentence theme of this poem and explain stating evidence from the poem.
“The Spirit of God is Omnipresent, and His might is Absolute”.
The theme above was clearly proven just from the start of the poem as it stated “I am
yesterday, today and tomorrow”, this statement from the according to my understanding
tells as that God watches over us for the complete period of time that he is present at all
time. Now from these following statements of the poem “The divine hidden Soul who
created the gods, And who feedeth the blessed”, it tells us that God is the creator and the
giver chance and blessing moreover protection and guidance as it was also stated in the
poem “And clothe me in light, Keep me say from the Sleeper in Darkness”.

2. What is the significance of this poem?

Understanding the poem, it was very important the fact that it was more a prayer. For
every difficulties and darkness that indulges us, prayer is most likely the only one where
can we turn to. More importantly the poem is significant as it carries message and
realization that are more than we can appreciate.

Tale of Sinuhe

1. Choose two from the three themes found in the tale and explain.
Free Will and DeterminismDivinityHome

From the three-theme listed above, I’ll choose Free Will and Determinism. Firstly, the free
will theme of the tale justifies the action of Sinuhe considering that in the story, he had
never done something he regretted and that is because the action he took either from his
flight and return to his homeland was on his free will and own decision. We might suspect
that Sinuhe’s return to his homeland is due to his regret leaving it, but it was not, he left the
Egypt on his own account and decided to return back on his own will for he seeks to rest
his soul from his homeland. As for the second theme I have chosen, there is only one and
inevitable words for it, and that is all of Sinuhe’s actions or chosen actions has cause
reasons. His action was determined by the previews event that had occurred in his life.

2. How does the story of Sinuhe’s flight from and return to Egypt reflect the struggle
between chaos and order?
The struggles between chaos and order were reflected from the flight and return of Sinuhe
to Egypt through the adventures he had experienced. But the chaos was mostly reflected
during Sinuhe’s flight away from Egypt the fact that he had encounter many troubles before
he was able to achieve a peaceful stay in the Near East. While on the other hand, the order
was achieved when he returns to Egypt and died there. We could all agree that it is only
appropriate for a man to rest and die in his birth blessed, and that was what happened to
Sinuhe who left and return to his homeland, Egypt.

Tale of the Doomed Prince

1. The idea of personal fate, destiny or doom surely played an integral role in people’s lives.
How is this reflected in the tale?

Personal fate, destiny, or doom in our life had been reflected from the poem through the
course action of the king which was building his son an isolated palace in the mountain
upon learning that his son will die from a certain animal to prevent this from happening
and to keep him away from any dangers. Moreover, the prince himself did not expect that
his loving dog whom he fed and cared for it so much will try to kill him. In spite the king
and the wife of the prince precaution not to put the prince in danger, the doomed still
followed him and approach him. This is how fate, destiny and doom of one’s life was
reflected in the story. They are inevitable whether we like it or not.

2. How is bravery and heroism reflected in the tale?

The bravery and heroism reflected in the tale through the prince, when he decided to face
his doom that is. Additionally, when he refused to kill his dog by his wife.

Tale of Eloquent Peasant

1. Ma'at is the ancient Egyptian law based on the idea of harmony and balance and allows
for the social hierarchy to be prevalent in citizen's everyday lives. This theme is present
throughout the poem. Describe the concept of law and justice in ancient Egypt.
Based on the concept of ma’at, the law and justice of the ancient Egypt is simple and easy to
determine that fact that this ancient Egyptian laws and justice was mostly base on a
common sense of right and wrong. The concept of law and justice in the ancient Egypt is
very common because it was not far from that of the laws and justice of today. It is
comparable to that of today execution of laws and justice.

2. Make a story map by completing the following in the chart. Provide one sentence theme
only.

Khun-Anup Khun-Anup was traveling to

Nemtynakht market with his donkeys
heavily laden with goods to
High steward Rensi
exchange for supplies for his
Pharaoh Nebkaure family.

While Khun-Anup was en route, Nemtynakht tricks and devises a scheme to steal
Khun-Anup's donkeys and supplies. Nemtynakht beats and threatened the
peasant Khun-Anup with death if he dares to complain.

Khun-Anup complained. He seeks out the high steward, the noble Rensi. Khun-Anup
complimented the high steward Rensi and begged for justice. Rensi, after reading Khun-
Anup's last speech, was impressed and ordered the donkeys and the goods to be returned
and compensated with all the property of Nemtynakht.

“Justice and Equality under Law”