What is literature| An Introduction

Introduction to Literature

The word literature is derived from the Latin “littera”, which means letter or alphabet. Literature is the world’s first written work of any type. In its fundamental terms, literature refers to any written work. But in its pure sense, literature deals with human life. All the attributes of human life are discussed, checked, and molded by literature. Different critics have different views about literature. Matthew Arnold says that literature is a criticism of life. It discusses all aspects of life. A literary work covers social aspects of life as in Dicken’s novels. It interprets psychological phenomena as in Virginia Wolf’s novel. It emphasizes local as well as international happenings in the world. Oscars Wild aptly called it, news that stays news.

Different Views about Literature:

"A comprehensive study of literature reveals the fact that the literary taste of every age is reflected in its literature. So, critics build their arguments according to the taste of the age".

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Plato’s view on literature:

The first literary critic who talked about poetry (the oldest genre of literature) was Plato. He calls it an imitation of an imitation. It is twice removed from reality. By saying this he means that a literary artist just copies a world that is already a copy of an idea. To understand this statement, let’s assume that God had an idea of this world in his mind, so he copied that idea and created this world. Now, when an artist paints this world in his writings, he is copying an imitation.

Aristotle’s view on literature:

Now Aristotle’s view of literature (especially poetry) is different from his teacher's. He argues that literature (poetry) is not merely an imitation of an imitation. It is rather a creative process. A poet sees the world and recreates it with his imagination. He makes it more sophisticated than in the real world.

John Dryden’s view on literature:

The English critic Dryden upholds Aristotle’s view of literature (poetry). In his view, a poet mimics facts, events, popular beliefs, and supernatural things, but he represents them in an ideal way. He supports the aesthetic aspect of literature. He is of the view that poetry is for delight rather than instruction. According to him, a poet is more than a teacher and imitator. He is rather a creator.

Types of Literature:

There are two types of literature, i.e., Pure literature, and Applied literature. The term 'applied literature' refers to literature that focuses on communicating information and ignores expression and style. Likewise, pure literature is written with a particular focus on stylistics to express personal feelings, desires, and emotions.

Applied Literature:

Although applied literature is a source of both pleasure and knowledge, it is focused mostly on knowledge-based information. In other words, factual information is given special attention in this type of literature. Here the writer ignores his emotions.

For example:

Taking a look at Darwin’s “Origin of Species”, we only get a line of information with an appropriate style. In this case, the expression of the writer is ignored. His focus is on the body of information to make his argument reasonable as well as debatable.

Pure Literature:

Pure literature seeks aesthetic pleasure for its readers. Pure literature does not focus on information or facts and figures. It is based on the writer’s use of expressions and styles. He forgets to give minute details of facts and emphasizes style.

For example:

All of the important poems, dramas, and other fictional works are part of pure literature. For instance, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare’s dramas, and the poetry of the Romantics. In all these works, there exists a little emphasis on argumentative information and a greater emphasis on artistic style and values.

Subject Matter or Scope of

 literature:

The experience of an individual throughout his/her life is the fundamental subject matter of literature. In other words, everything that comes from a person’s experience becomes part of literature. Therefore, the scope of literature is unlimited, and wherever there is life, there is the possibility of experience and so of literature.

The function of Literature:

The most important function of literature is to communicate experience. In other words, the writer transplants his experience to the reader’s mind by establishing an imaginative connection. He artistically appeals to their imagination. He uses different metaphors or other figurative expressions to communicate with readers.

Conclusion:

Summing up the whole topic, it is understood that literature is imitation, but the process of imitation is creative. It differs from applied literature because in applied literature only information is targeted. In contrast, pure literature emphasizes expressions and personal emotions. Moreover, literature covers an individual’s experience, so its scope is very broad. It could be didactic (aiming to teach morality) or aesthetic (aiming to get pleasure).