THINGS ABOUT LITERATURE THAT grammar," originally "writing formed with

YOU SHOULD KNOW letters". Developments in print

technology have allowed an ever-
Literature generally is a collection of growing distribution and proliferation of
written works, but it is also used more written works, which now include
narrowly for writings specifically electronic literature.
considered to be an art form, especially
prose fiction, drama, and poetry. There are some other forms of literature
Literature may be classified according to which we will discuss briefly:
a variety of systems, including language,
national origin, historical period, genre, Oral Literature:
and subject matter. Literature is a Oral literature is an ancient human
method of recording, preserving, and tradition found in “all corners of the
transmitting knowledge and world”. The earliest poetry is believed to
entertainment. have been recited or sung, employed as
a way of remembering history,
"Literature provides insight into the genealogy, and law. All ancient Greek
minds of other human beings, into the literature was to some degree oral in
mind of the author and the minds of the nature, and the earliest literature was
character he or she brings to life," completely also oral.

"It provides one with the opportunity to Oratory:

further one's education to continuously Oratory or the art of public speaking was
learn new things and be exposed to a for long considered a literary art. From
plethora of ideas." Ancient Greece to the late 19th Century,
rhetoric played a central role in Western
Literature, as an art form, can also education in training orators, lawyers,
include works in various non-fiction counselors, historians, statesmen, and
genres, such as autobiographies, poets.
diaries, memoirs, letters, and essays.
Within its broad definition, literature Writing:
includes non-fictional books, articles, or Around the 4th millennium BC, the
other printed information on a particular complexity of trade and administration in
subject. Mesopotamia outgrew human memory,
and writing became a more dependable
Definition: method of recording and presenting
A Latin word, "litera," means letter. This transactions in a permanent form.
is a body of literary productions, either Though in both ancient Egypt and
oral, written, or visual containing Mesoamerica, writing may have already
imaginative language that realistically emerged because of the need to record
portrays thoughts emotions, and historical and environmental events.
experiences of the human condition. Subsequent innovations included more
uniform, predictable, legal systems,
Historical Background: sacred texts, and the origins of modern
The term derives from the Latin word practices of scientific inquiry and
"litera" which means "learning, writing, knowledge consolidation, all largely
reliant on portable and easily certain definite phases, each having
reproducible forms of writing. marked characteristics. These phases
may be termed as 'Ages' or 'Periods',
Types of Literature: which are named after the central
 Poetry literary figures or the important rulers of
 Prose England. Thus, we have the 'Ages' of
 Novel Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Dryden,
 Novella Pope, and Johnson. Wordsworth,
 Short Story Tennyson, Hardy; and, on the other
 Graphic novel hand, the Elizabethan Age, the
 Electronic literature Jacobean Period, the Age of Queen
 Nonfiction Anne, the Victorian Age, and the
 Drama Georgian Period. Some of these phases
are named after certain literary
English Literature: movements, such as the Classical Age,
English Literature is one of the richest and the Romantic Age; while others after
literatures of the world. Being the certain important historical eras, such as
literature of a great nation which, though the Medieval Period, Anglo-Saxon
inhabiting a small island off the west Period, and Anglo-Norman Period.
coast of Europe, has made its mark in These literary phases are also named
the world on account of her spirit of by some literary historians after the
adventure, perseverance, and tenacity, it centuries, as the Seventeenth Century
reflects these characteristics of a great Literature, Eighteenth Century
people. It has vitality, rich variety, and Literature, Nineteenth-Century
continuity. As literature is the reflection Literature, and Twentieth Century
of society, the various changes that Literature. These 'Ages' and 'Periods'
have come about in English society, naturally overlap each other, and they
from the earliest to the modern time, are not to be followed strictly, but it is
have left their stamp on English essential to keep them in mind in order
literature. Thus, in order to appreciate to follow the growth of English literature,
properly the various phases of English and its salient and distinctive
literature, knowledge of English Social characteristics during the various
and Political History is essential. For periods of its development.
example, we cannot form a just estimate
of Chaucer without taking into account How does it work in society?
the characteristics of the period in which Literature has had a major impact on the
he was living, or of Shakespeare without development of society. It has shaped
taking proper notice of the great events civilizations, changed political systems,
which were taking place during the reign and exposed injustice. Literature gives
of Elizabeth. The same is the case with us a detailed preview of human
other great figures and important experiences, allowing us to connect on
movements in English literature. basic levels of desire and emotion.

When we study the history of English Literature and Society:

literature from the earliest to modern We are going to start with some theories
times, we find that it has passed through specified by practitioners/scholars.
One hypothesis is that “literature Social Problems and Literature:
“reflects” society" Within the last fifteen years, several
sociologists have explored or implied
The second hypothesis is that "literature another variety of reflection that has
influences or "shapes" society" arisen evidently from accumulated
sociological data and a concern for
A third hypothesis is that “literature social problems. Their basic assumption
functions socially to maintain and is that literature, mainly fiction, and
stabilize, if not to justify and sanctify, the biography in "popular" forms, reflects
social order, which may be called the social "facts": vocational and divorce
"social-control" theory. trends, population composition, and
distribution. This hypothesis is perhaps
The idea that literature reflects society is the most mechanistic version of all since
at least as old as Plato's concept of it postulates that literary data somehow
imitation. The essential function of the correspond to certain types of statistical
reflection theory is to "explain" in social data; and that heroines in popular
and historical rather than individual fiction, for example, are portrayed as
terms the quality and greatness of having the same occupations,
literature, as well as its content, style, proportionately, as exist in society at a
and forms. In effect, it emphasized particular time. Although the hypothesis
social and cultural determinism instead seems hardly promising, the results
of personal inspiration, and it became have been somewhat profitable, for they
the broad orientation of innumerable indicate the direction of the distortion of
works dealing with the arts. To be sure, statistical facts. indeed, seems to be
other phrases were often used, such as slanted in the direction of widespread
"expression of society" or "mirror of life," interests and ideals.
but their meaning is practically identical
to "reflection. Literature and its Influence on Human
Life:
These phrases were applied to nearly Literature grows out of life, reacts upon
everything social and cultural as well as life, and is fed by life. Generally, we can
biological and geographical. At one time say that everything in print is literature.
or another literature has been thought to But this would be a very vague
reflect economics, family relationships, description of literature. Broadly
climate and landscapes, attitudes, speaking, "literature" is used to describe
morals, races, social classes, political anything from creative writing to more
events, wars, religion, and many other technical or scientific works, but the term
more detailed aspects of environment is most commonly used to refer to works
and social life. of the creative imagination, including
works of drama, essays, fiction, and
This diversity results, apparently, from nonfiction. Any work of art in which the
the fact that literature embraces a wide emotional content predominates is
variety of subject matter, representing literature. Literature is the expression of
"settings," behavior patterns, and ideas written words. Literature is distinct from
in their complex interrelationships. all other arts. It has no medium of its
own. Many mixed forms of literature depict the new bourgeoisie of the
exist in it. eighteenth century; Jane Austen, the
country gentry and country parsons
Though literature is beyond these early in the nineteenth century.
definitions, it is more than what we see
and perceive. Its boundaries cross our Literature is an instrument of revolution.
lives, our traditions, culture, social Political turmoil, societal injustice, and
relations, national unity, and a lot more. genocidal conquest can all be ended
It serves as a reflection of reality, a and resolved in the form of literature. A
product of art, and a window to an writer can be a warrior with his words as
ideology, everything that happens within his weapon. He can be a revolutionist by
a society can be written, recorded in, writing literary pieces that exploit
and learned from the piece of literature. corruption in his fellow countrymen.
Whether it be poetry or prose, literature Literature in the present generation still
provides insight, knowledge, wisdom, exists as an expression of art, a source
and emotion to the person who partakes of knowledge, and an instrument of
it entirely. entertainment. In short, literature has
very deep meaning in our society it has
Literature contribution to Human its roots in every aspect of our society.
lives:
Literature also contributes to several
human lives. In education programs,
literature may make a significant
contribution to students" development
and knowledge. The contribution of
literature in education covers intrinsic
values and extrinsic values. The intrinsic
values are the reward of a lifetime of
wide reading recognizable in a truly
literate person while the intrinsic values
facilitate the development of language
skills and knowledge.

Literature as Social Document:

Used as a social document, literature
can be made to yield the outlines of
social history. Chaucer and Langland
preserve two views of fourteenth-century
society. The prologue to the Canterbury
Tales was early seen to offer an almost
complete survey of social types.
Shakespeare, in The Merry Wives of
Windsor, Ben Jonson in several plays,
and Thomas Deloney seem to tell us
something about the Elizabethan middle
class. Addison, Smollett, and Fielding