Introduction to World Literature LECTURE 1 What is Literature? Literature isa group of works of art made up of words. Most are written, but some are passed on by word of mouth. Literature usually means works of poetry and prose that are especially well written. ... Literature can also mean imaginative or creative writing, which is looked at for its artistic value . Importance of Literature Literatureallows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the oneswho walked before us. We can gather a better understanding of culture and have a greater appreciation of them. We learn through the ways history is recorded, in the forms of manuscripts and through speech itself. .Literature represents culture and tradition of people and language. It introduces us to new worlds of experience. We learn about books and literature; we enjoy the comedies and the tragedies of poems, stories, and plays; and we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey with books Literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is universal, and it affects us. It tends to create awareness of the facts worth knowing, and at times a realization that they are not facts about things but facts about life. Purposeof Literature •It is a social document. •It reflects various aspects of society. It's good values and its ill. •In its corrective function, literature mirrors the ills of the society with a view to make society realize its mistakes and make amends. Characteristics of Literature Form and content:In literature what and how it is said matters. Imagination and creativity:Literature is not a mere reporting of facts. Things are created or ‘made up’ Subjectivity:Literature presents individualistic reality, and is not objective. Artistry: Literature presents a certain ‘artistry’. Greatness:Literature is presented by people with specialized literary abilities. Effect of Literature “What is wonderful about great literature is that it transformsthe man who reads it towards the Condition of the man who wrote.” Beginning of Literature Early manifestation of literature in prehistoric times were through paintings in caves, which held encoded information in the form of visual signs.
Oral Poetry ●Before writing developed, literature was developed in an oral tradition. Through oral poetry , literature was stored as memory and recited upon demand. ●Poems were written in specific meters to aid memorization. ●Examples: Mahabharata,Ramayana, Gilgamesh Epics. Codification of Oral Literature According to Michael Wood, it was not uncommon in India even until the late 20th century that "an illiterate Brahmin would pop up at one of the temples in Varanasi and recite a holy scripture in Sanskrit, never reported nor codified ever before, for hours." ●Codification of Gilgamesh Epic: 210-2500 BC ●Codification of Mahabharata: 400 BC in Sanskrit Types of Literature Epic (Prose) Drama Poetry Epic (Prose) An epic poem isa lengthy, narrative work of poetry. These long poems typically detail extraordinary
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