The Norton Anthology of World Literature not only provides valuable lessons and words of wisdom, but also shares experiences from around the world. These ageless writings allow generations to encounter a legacy of tradition and culture within the confines of their pages. The anthology's variety offers multiple characters and ideas to explore, while each selection contains remarkable and impressionable material. The collection's most memorable content features larger-than-life characters and invaluable lessons in Gilgamesh, clever ideas and guidelines to follow in Confucius, and the universal experience of a passionate relationship described in the lyrics. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the characters and their lesson emerge as the most memorable part of the story. Gilgamesh appears very impressive due to his large size and majestic presence (Tablet I: 30-38). Furthermore, he emerges more divine than human (Tablet I: 50) and possesses the highest degree of strength (Tablet I: 36). Enkidu emerges from the clay (Tablet I: 102-104) and is endowed with the physical power of a hero. At his creation, Enkidu also possessed a force as powerful as Gilgamesh (Tablet I: 92). The stature of Gilgamesh and Enkidu represents power and might, but the true memorable and imposing impression lies in the depth of the friendship they form. It begins with opposition (Tablet II: 96-108), solidifies into a pact (Tablet II: 115), and continues after Enkidu's death (Tablet IX: 1). The story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu teaches that sharing experiences and trials creates the human experience. The anthology also includes the Analects of Confucius. The "sayings" describe Confucius...... middle of paper ...... warm hearts make the content of the words memorable. Because of the careful work of the translators, each selection in The NortonAnthology of World Literature maintains and reflects its original intent. . The difficulty lies in selecting the most memorable content since each text contains its own value. First, Gilgamesh and Enkidu remain undisputed as memorable characters, and their physical, intellectual, and moral greatness remains unquestioned. Second, the words of Confucius remain timeless in their wisdom and still provide a useful guide for life. Finally, Catullus' anguish is repeated each time a lover is abandoned. The Norton Anthology of World Literature contains valuable experiences and emotions of previous generations, but only a devoted commitment to reading them brings about their full potential..