My Reflection on the Harvard Course
For the past weeks I’ve been sharing fragments of my journey through Harvard’s Masterpieces of World Literature course. Although the course spanned twelve weeks and twelve books, only eight made their way into my public reflections. The others stayed with me privately—too complex, too raw, or simply not aligned with what I wanted to bring into this space. But each one left its mark, even in silence.
The literature selection wasn’t exactly what I expected, and often not to my taste. Yet, despite that mismatch, the course turned out to be an extraordinary journey around the world and across time.
It carried me through different philosophies, political landscapes, religions, histories, cultures, visions, and perspectives. I was especially impressed by the lectures filmed in Troy, the old maps, and the interviews and recordings from other cities and museums, including the conversation with the writer Orhan Pamuk. At times it felt as if the course had caught a free wind—traveling not only through literary masterpieces, but also through physical places, and somehow carrying me along as a viewer.
How the course changed me
I think I’m a different person now than when I began. I encountered not only the worlds created by writers, but also the extraordinary interpretations offered by the professors. Each turn of the “ship’s wheel”—whether cultural, political, socio‑economic, religious, or personal—opened the texts on a new level.
This course taught me that literature can be read as a self‑contained world, especially by a non‑professional reader. But literature also has an outer world—its historical, cultural, and political context. The professors showed how these inner and outer worlds connect, and how bridges between them can be built.
Some themes were brutal, painful, or harsh—political conflicts, historical traumas, cultural dogmas, religious dramas, and theological debates. They were presented not as separate commentary, but as integral parts of the masterpieces themselves. Naturally, this evoked strong emotions.
A mirror, not just a window
Studying world literature made me realize something unexpected: the challenges of a single culture multiply when placed next to the challenges of others. Globalization doesn’t just expand opportunities—it also amplifies complexities.
The course didn’t just introduce me to selected masterpieces; it prompted deep self‑reflection. It made me examine my own values, boundaries, and emotional responses to difficult material. It pushed me to engage with political contexts I had previously avoided. Literature, I discovered, doesn’t only open windows into other civilizations—it also holds up a mirror to our own. This course made me a little braver.
The Professors and the Journey Itself
I think the main thing the professors wanted to show was how to analyze literature. There is something almost like dance criticism in it: structure, rhythm, interpretation, the movement between form and meaning.
The course was also an incredible informational resource. Many lectures were filmed on location—at historical sites, in museums, among artifacts connected to the works. It felt like a true online journey with the professors, walking through the places where these stories were born.
The course expanded my world, challenged my assumptions, and left me with a deeper appreciation for literature as both an art form and a cultural force.
Encountering so many articulate, passionate professors was inspiring. I’m thankful for this beautiful inner‑world transformation and for the experience of traveling—intellectually, emotionally, and even geographically—through the landscapes of world literature.
Masterpieces of World Literature Diary
Here I’ve gathered all the diary entries from my Harvard learning journey. Each post captures a moment, a thought, or a discovery along the way.
Conclusion
Looking back, I’m surprised by how much this course shifted me. I didn’t love every book, and at times the themes were heavy or unsettling. But the process—guided by passionate professors, filmed in remarkable places, enriched by context—opened something in me. I walk away changed, carrying new perspectives and a richer sense of the world’s interconnected stories.
