Why Read Literature?

Posted: Sep 22, 2010 |Comments: 1 | Views: 297 |

Why do we read literature? Why is it part of our curriculum? After all it is only made up of fantastic stories? What does it teach us? Why do they encourage us to continue reading long after we have graduated?

The answer to all these questions lies in the definition of literature. So what is literature?

There is a lot of debate on the exact definition of literature. But broadly it can be taken to mean this-

Literature is any written text that imparts knowledge and yields aesthetic satisfaction at the same time. To know more about the definition of literature, click here.Good literature is supposed to deal with man and his society. It is supposed to be the result of a fertile imagination and is supposed to appeal to multiple ages and societies.

So reading literature helps fulfill a number of useful functions.

Most of all, literature reading helps a person to understand human beings, their behavior and their society in a better manner. Because literature talks about man and his society, it is a true reflection of the political and social nature of man. One aspiring to be wiser in the ways of men can do so by reading literature.

Because good literature is timeless, it can be read and enjoyed across various societies, ages and cultures. So literature also provides an interesting means of learning about various different societies, cultures and times.

Since literature has an aesthetic quality, reading it is a pleasurable activity. It can thus be developed as an active hobby that imparts knowledge as well as pleasure. People who write literature also benefit from its many utilities. They find a release for their creative energy through literature.

However, many people find literature boring. This is mostly because the joys that are derived from literature are not instant- the reader needs to actively engage in unraveling a literary text. So unlike popular notion, reading literature is not a passive activity. Reading literature can be fun only when the reader is willing to work with the author in a knowledgeable manner in discovering the many treasures of the literary text.

In order to find out how to read literature in the correct manner, click here. After you have learnt how to read literature in the right fashion, you will realize that literature can be as much fun as playing a thrilling video game :-)

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    Ashmita Saha Dec 02, 2010
    I was really impressed by your article posted above, it really is true that literature helps us to know human behavior and the society and thus, it is an important part of not only our education, but our lives too. I'm a teenager and I simply love reading literature books. Your article made me proud of what I love to do. Keep it up!
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    An interesting point to be noted is that even my name is Ashmita Saha :)
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