Essentials of Literature

1. ESSENTIALS OF LITERATURE Dr Vidya Patil Assistant Professor of English, Government First Grade Women’s College, Bidar.

2. “ Literature is a record of the best thoughts.” - Emerson. Literature is the artistic expression of thought which is replete with feelings and imagination. “ Literature consists of all the books where moral truth and human passion are touched with a certain largeness, sanity and attraction of form.” - Lord Morley.

4. * Literature heightens our awareness of human life. * Literature enables us to look at nature with new eyes. * Literature interprets with charm of language the experiences and spiritual intuitions of man. * Thought, Feeling, Imagination and Beauty are the essential ingredients of literature. * Literature is one of the most powerful instruments for forming character. Writers teach us to know man and know human nature.

5. “Great literature is simple language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.” - Emerson. Literature is a record of man’s dreams and ideals, his hopes and aspirations, his failures and disappointments, his motives and passions, his experiences and observations. It appeals to the widest human interests and the simplest human emotions. It knows no nationality, nor any bounds save those of humanity.

6. The two qualities of literature which distinguish it from other written works are – (a)universality of interest and (b)artistic style.

7. SCOPE OF LITERATURE 1) Literature in it’s Comprehensive sense. 2) Literature in its Restricted and Ordinary meaning. 3) Literature used in a Technical sense. 4) Literature of Knowledge and the Literature of Power.

8. Literature in it’s Comprehensive sense Literature in it’s most comprehensive meaning includes all the activities of the human soul in general or within a particular sphere, period, country or language and therefore embraces all manner of composition in prose and verse, scientific or purely literary, set down in writing or communicated by word of mouth.

9. Literature in it’s Restricted and Ordinary meaning In the restricted sense in which we generally employ the term, literature is that class of writing which aims at rousing the feelings of the beautiful by the perfection of form or excellence of ideas or by both.

10. Literature used in a Technical sense In a technical sense, literature, in the first place, is the study of the rules of literary composition or what is called literary technique and secondly to describe the different phases through which the intellectual development of a people has passed , in other words, to narrate the literary history of a people.

11. The Literature of Knowledge and the Literature of Power According to De Quincey, there is first the literature of knowledge, and secondly, the literature of power. The function of the first is to teach, the function of the second is to move. Literature of knowledge speaks to the discursive understanding of man. Literature of power appeals to the higher understanding of reason through affections of pleasure and sympathy.

12. CHIEF QUALITIES OF LITERATURE 1) Artistic quality 2) Suggestiveness 3) Permanence 4) Universality

13. Artistic Quality All art is the expression of life in forms of truth and beauty, or rather , it is the reflection of some truth and beauty which are in the world, but which remain unnoticed until brought to our attention by some sensitive human soul.

14. Suggestiveness Literature appeals to our emotions and imagination rather than to our intellect. It is not so much what it says as what it awakens in us that constitutes it’s charm.

15. Permanence Literature is like a river in flood, which gradually purifies itself in two ways – the mud settles to the bottom and the scum rises to the top.

16. Universality Literature is great because of it’s universality. It is powerful enough to supersede the narrow interests of a class in favour of humanity as a whole. It is occupied with elementary passions and emotions – love and hate, joy and sorrow, fear and faith – which are an essential part of our human nature. According to Aristotle, literature indicates the universal element,ie. What is true for all times and ages and the particular ie. What is true of the men, events, customs, culture and manners of an age.

17. LITERATURE AND LIFE * Literature has close connection with life. * Literature is the study of life. * The subject matter is the presentation of life. * Literature is the communication of the writer’s novel and unique experiences of life. * There is a vital and intimate connection between literature and life which is inseparable. * Literature manifests the subtle problems of life. * Literature is the brain of humanity.

18. STYLE IN LITERATURE * Language has an important bearing upon literature. * Literature is the personal use or exercise of language. * Language is the vehicle of thought. * Thought and expression are inseparable. * Language is the skin and body of thought. * The characteristic of a great writer is that he will look to the adequacy of language to thought.

19. CONCLUSION The chief features of literature are as follows - a) Intellectual element - Thought. b)Emotional element - Feeling. c) Element of imagination - Fancy. d) Technical element - Composition and Style.

20. Literature expresses, represents and communicates experience by means of language.

21. THANK YOU DrVidyaPatil Assistant Professor of English Government First Grade Women’s College, Bidar.