For Students
The evolution of the short story first began before humans could write. To aid in constructing and memorizing tales, the early storyteller often relied on stock phrases, fixed rhythms, and rhyme. Consequently, many of the oldest narratives in the world, such as the ancient Babylonian tale the Epic of Gilgamesh, are in verse. Indeed, most major stories from the ancient Middle East were in verse: “The War of the Gods,” “The Story of Adapa” (both Babylonian), “The Heavenly Bow,” and “The King Who Forgot” (both Canaanite). Those tales were inscribed in cuneiform on clay during the 2nd millennium bce. The ...(100 of 7300 words)