I figure since this is the book forum, it would be an interesting debate to try and define literature. My thoughts aren't necessarily right, and I'd love to hear what you have to say!
In the simplest of terms. I believe that literature is any piece of written word that contains meaning. Most of the time it also revolves around a central plot or idea. I also believe that it always has characters, whether that is simply the poetic voice or the different people in a play or novel. These characters can even be animals or objects that are personified.
I believe that there are many different types of literature, but I feel that the motivation behind writing it is usually the same. Literature always reflects on the society and culture of the world. It is a way that people can observe their world through art and writing. So in the same sense that the world changes as time passes, so too does the style of literature. Literature always contains some sort of moral or theme, often times relating to problems of current society; for example, sexism or racism.
I don't think that literature became more important over time, however, I do believe that literature from the past now has a more historical aspect that didn't exist at the time of itis publishing. This is simply because now we can learn more about the world at that time much in the same way we would inspect cave paintings
I think that the historical aspect of literature is one of the reasons why we study it. It allows us a creative looking glass into the world at that time. We temporarily get inside of the mind of the author and, therefore, live in their time through their perspective of the world. Even though all fiction pieces of literature are not actually written historically or with the intention of being historical, we can still learn a lot about the problems and beliefs of people at that time.
Another reason why we study literature is because by studying it we learn morals and lessons that help explain, justify, and give meaning to life and the world. It is an artistic way to explore the unexplainable. In science and math, you can't study the difference between right and wrong, the power of love, or the courage of man. Only through literature can we immerse ourselves in these ideas.
Lastly, literature is fun. It is a form of entertainment that almost every one enjoys at one point in their life. Stories and poems allow us to travel to different worlds, meet new people, and go on exciting adventures. Our imaginations are given a chance to flourish through writing and reading, bringing to life colorful images and people that before were simply flat text on a page.
Well... what do you think? Agree or disagree with me? Gotta love literature, either way
