In & Out - Literature

What do you mean by 'Literature'? Literature is beyond books or bundle of pages. Literature includes centuries, human nature, cultures and souls.

Literature.
Everyone’s word!
Literature.
Republic of letters! (Henry Fielding)
Literature.
Gossip! (Truman Capote)
Literature.
News that stays news! (Ezra Pound)
Literature.
Living memory of nation! (Alexander Solxhenitsyn)
Literature.
My utopia! (Helen Keller)
Literature.
Orchestration of platitudes! (Thornton)
Literature.
Is not read! (Oscar Wilde)
Literature.
Mirrors country’s life! (Dr.Raghukul Tilk)

Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary. In Latin "littera" means an individual written character.

Literature has undergone process of widening of meaning and has come to mean ‘anything in print – anything in written’. Although every subject in this world including chemistry, physics, or simply marketing brochure is literature, Literature in sense of dramas or poems has a lot of different thing.

Literature revitalizes human interest and characterizes eternalness coloring imaginations and artistic adornment. This deals with one’s life and destinies on earth. It is an expression of thought, feeling, emotions and attitudes towards life. Literature binds these expressions into permanent histories and makes them universal.

This is a difference between a newspaper and a novel. Journalism or advertisements also express brilliant pieces of descriptions, thoughts, views, utilities and relevancy. But they are not for all time. "Literature binds time rather time binds literature", says Rashmi.

Identifying difference Cyril Connolly said nicely "Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be grasped at once."

Literature however today includes poetry, drama, essays, prose fiction or other prose. Other prose includes philosophy, history, journalism, and legal and scientific writings.

In one differentiation De Quincey beautifully said " There is first the literature of knowledge and secondly the literature of power. First teaches and second moves."

In literature, each character sailing in a flow generates some meaning. What makes literature interesting for years?

Good Literature

"Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree" says Ezra Pound.

In one review of good literature, following key points were identified.

1. It knows and describes ‘In & Out’ of the subject. You can really learn and add great values to your knowledge by reading that.
2. It is directly or indirectly shares experiences in a form of historical analysis.
3. It starts with little but generates ideas for further research or expansion.
4. It may be interpretation or extension of the existing literature.
5. It is all about integrating your feelings, emotions, values and concepts.
6. It displays past to show you future. It anticipates happenings.

Literature & Life
Good literature imitates nature. It presents an arty view of human time. Oscar Wilde says, "Literature anticipates life. It doesn’t copy it but moulds it to its purposes." Similarly written in The Last Ride together "You tell what we felt only". You like to read what you really feel.

Literature & Soul

Thomas Carlyle says that literature is the thought of thinking souls. We read literature as it reflects our joys, sorrows, love and hate. Hudson advocates that Literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they have experienced of it, what they have thought and felt about those aspects of it, which have the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us. It is thus fundamentally an expression of life thorough the medium of language.

Literature & Sincerity

Literature doesn’t mean writing only emotions to please readers. It should reflect truth and sincerity. It is one’s experience of life. Without sincerity, literature never holds great achievement. Best example is of Dante’s Divine Comedy. It still appeals us for its sincerity in written poems.

Carlyle says, "The merit of originality is not novelty. It is sincerity." Whatever you write should be original to make it literature.

Probably regarding originality, writing love letter is great example as literature.

Alvin Toffler said, "To write a good love letter, you ought to begin without knowing what you mean to say, and to finish without knowing what you have written."

Literature & Next Generation

Literature is written to suggest next generations. This is to appeal our emotions and imaginations. It is not to prove yourself by intellect. It is not producing just writer’s emotions. But writer puts everyone emotions in the words.

Literature & Knowledge

According to Isaac D'Israeli, literature is an avenue to glory, ever open for those ingenious men who are deprived of honors or of wealth.

Creativity takes birth from experiences. Similarly reading literature creates base for further creation or recreation. Never think of producing or being great while you start literature. Keep your mind free. Intellect will flow automatically.

Nothing further. End Of Literature.

By Jay C
Published: 2/11/2005