By: Omar Said And Mohammad Hawari

Bi SHENG When Bi Sheng, who lived in Bianlang, China, made the movable type he was in unofficial position. He took sticky clay and cut into them characters as thin as the edge of a coin. Each piece of clay had one type in it and he baked the clay to make it hard. Before he had done this he had prepared an iron cover and the plate was covered by with a mixture of pine resin, wax, and paper ashes. When he wanted to print he took the frame and put it on the iron plate. He then placed the types on the plate and when it was filled it made one solid block of type. He then placed it next to a fire to warm the paste in the back and after it was warm he pressed a smooth board to it so that was as even as a whetstone. Bi Sheng’s clay types were not good for large scale printing.. The Government official Wang Zhen improved Bi Sheng’s clay types by creating the same movable types but out of wood. Later, in 1230, metal movable types were created in Korea. Then, in China in 1490 the bronze movable type was developed by a wealthy printer named Hua Sui (1439–1513).

Literature Japanese Literature started out as oral traditions which were first written out in the early eight century after a writing system had started in Japan. Books such as the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and Nihon Shoki (Chronicle of Japan) were completed as Government projects in 712 and 720. Then the Fudoki (Records of Wind and Earth) described history, geography, products and folklore of the various provinces. Court ladies had played a role in developing literature. People started to use writing more for social things. People wrote diaries and stories that had psychological portrayals that are still remembered with present day readers. Making renga (a long poem made of verses by several people linked together) had become a pastime and this gave birth to something new haiku’s. In the sixteenth century. A seventeenth century poet named Matsu preferred a condensed version of 17 syllables which was a source of simplicity and tranquility.