Choose one pair of literary texts and visual artifacts from the list below. Each pair represents a particular culture. Write a short essay in which you do the following:
• Paragraph 1: Analyze the form, content, and meaning of the literary passage. Then explain which aspects of the culture that created it are reflected in this passage. What does this passage tell us about the Greek/Roman/Chinese/Christian/Muslim culture at the time it was created?
• Paragraph 2: Analyze the form and significance of the visual artifact. Then explain which aspects of the culture that created it are reflected in the work of art. What does it tell us about the culture that created it?
• Paragraph 3: Compare the meaning of the literary passage with the visual artifact. Can one of them help us understand the other? If so, how? If not, why not? Taken together, what can the two items tell us about the general culture that created them?
• Paragraph 4: Finally, consider the relevance of the two items for today’s world. Can we learn any lessons, negative or positive, from them? What aspects of their culture can we learn from today?
Sample Solution