DEFINITON OF LITERATURE

 writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or
essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.
 the entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc.:
 the literature of England.
 the writings dealing with a particular subject:
 the literature of ornithology.
 the profession of a writer or author.
 literary work or production.
 any kind of printed material, as circulars, leaflets, or handbills:
 literature describing company products.
 Archaic. polite learning; literary culture; appreciation of letters and books.
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
literature, a body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose
distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution. Literature may be
classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter.
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according to Bwalya .L (2006) the term literature is a latin word ‘litera’ which means Writing . From this background, it is
believed that literature is anything that is written. The people that subscribe to this notion believe that any written material
qualifies to be called literature, hence mathematical figures are also literature. However, this definition has recently faced a lot
of criticism because some scholars believe that a piece of art does not need to be written for it to be called literature. Such
people extend their argument by saying that this definition is very narrow because it leaves out orature or oral literature. This is
to say that literature exists in many forms, therefore saying that literature is any written material is being narrow minded
because literature as it is known today exists in many forms which are both in oral and written form.

In addition, scylar (1998: 83) defines literature as “ any writing on a subject: the body of published work concerned with a
particular subject.” A similar definition to this scholar was coined by Pollanen (1997) which says that ‘literature refers to
published writings in a particular style on a particular subject.

Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work. Etymologically, the term derives from Latin litaritura/litteratura “writing
formed with letters,” although some definitions include spoken or sung texts. More restrictively, it is writing that possesses
literary merit. Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction and whether it is poetry or prose. It can
be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story or drama, and works are often categorized
according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).
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NATURE/CHARACTERISTICS OF LITERATURE

Primarily the language of literature differs from ordinary language in three ways: (1) language is concentrated and meaningful,
(2) its purpose is not simply to explain, argue, or make a point but rather to give a sense of pleasure in the discovery of a new
experience, and (3) it demands intense concentration from the readers. It indicates that the language of literature has
originality, quality, creativity, and pleasure.

Fictional
Expressive
Affective

Imaginative literature- highly connotative

Non-imaginative literature- denotative where words refer to meaning in dictionary

IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE
Literature allows a person to step back in time and learn about life on Earth from the ones who 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 is important because it ignites the mind. We obtain the capability to see the world we inhabit from an entirely
different perspective. It gives us the ability the power to see the world with a fresh mind. Some of the common themes of
literature like love, conflict, fear, loneliness, and growth connect the reader with these subjects and help develop an
understanding of the self.
Understanding Humanity
Humanity is all about helping and taking care of people who need caring, love and our attention. Literature helps in
understanding human nature and conditions that impact human thinking and shape our behavior. Numerous human cultures,
beliefs, and traditions were borne out of literature. Literature down the ages have known to give voice to the people and helped
them express their opinions more forcefully, which in turn strengthens the foundations of humanity.

Modern Literature
Importance of literature can be felt in modern times as well. Films, plays, music, magazines, comic books, etc., are literature in
visual form. The actions and illustrations displayed on pages seem to give life to words written there.

In the 21st century, literature exists as an expression of art, a source of knowledge, and an instrument of entertainment.

Literature stays with us forever in our minds and our hearts, owning a part of ourselves, and playing a critical role in everyday
life.

Literature In Education
For the majority of us, we first encounter literature in school. This is important as the habit of reading and writing are ingrained
in us from an early age. We connect with the characters in the book, with the themes and messages broadening our horizon and
help us critically think and analyze situations we encounter in our daily lives. Every year, over 130 million books are published
across the world. They create a bridge to learning something new.

Should Reading Literature Be Made Compulsory?

The impact and importance of literature in modern society is simply incredible. The author uses the magic of words to open up
our minds and show us a way to understand the world in a better way. For example, the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F.Scott
Fitzgerald was a reflection of his experiences and opinions.

Literature also helps us better comprehend modern-day issues like human conflict, wars and sufferings. In a Gulf News article, it
was said, "In today's modern media, where television, movies are there, people are misled to think that every problem has its
quick solutions. However, literature corroborates the real complexity of human conflict”.

Literature is a reflection of how the society works, and functions. In the modern world, the role of literature in society assumes
added significance because of the impact it creates by shaping our thoughts and behavior.

FUNCTIONS
1. Literature educates people in the society
Literary works are used to impart knowledge to the members of the society. It creates awareness on different social political and
economic matters taking place in their societies.

It educates the young people on how they are expected to behave in accordance with the demands of their societies and the
roles they are required to fulfil.

2. Literature expresses people’s culture

Since literature develops from the society, it automatically expresses the culture of its people. All cultural aspects like traditions,
beliefs, customs, norms etc are expressed so that the society may cherish the good ones and carry them over to the next
generations, and modify or discard the outdated ones.

3. Literature is used to entertain people

Most literary works appeal to the emotions. By reading, listening and watching literary works, we get entertained. Poems and
dramas create an enjoyment to the audience different from one we get when we are eating food. Literary enjoyment is called
aesthetic pleasure. E.g. comedies and melodrama.

4. Literature is used to influence people in the society

More often than not people who are interested in watching, listening and reading literary works are tempted to act like those
characters in the respective literary work. During the struggle for independence for example literary works were used to instil
revolutionary ideas to the oppressed to take up arms against the oppressor. Consider the poem “Your Pain” by Armando
Guebuza.

5. Literature is used to develop language

By reading, listening and watching literary works, people improve their language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and
writing. People may also improve their vocabulary stock since they will not only come across a number of new words but also
know how they are used in real contexts.

Authors do also come with new words, phrases, idioms, figures of speech, that help to develop the language.

6. Literature is used to liberate people mentally and physically

Literary works present the message that helps to liberate the society mentally as a result they liberate themselves physically. It
conscitizes the society about the existence of oppressive systems and suggest ways to get rid of those systems. E.g. United we
stand, divided we fall.

7. Literature is used to criticize the society

Literature may be used to criticise the society in a sense that it points out the burning issues and requests the society to resolve
them. More often than not literary artists point out the evils done by the traditional society e.g. Perpetuating the outdated
customs like FGM, Widow Inheritance, forced marriages etc. and ask the society to discard them.

Knowledge sharing This is the most basic and important function of literature. We can learn many
new things about the world with its help; we can fill ourselves with knowledge and become
smarter.
-Because literature gives us new ideas, sparks of imagination, discoveries about the past, it helps
us inform these things to others at the present and engage ourselves with meaningful discussions.
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Upbringing Literature affects the feelings and outlook of a person. Why do we read fairy tales in
childhood? Well, mostly because they clearly distinguish between good and evil, which helps
children to understand what is good and what is bad from an early age. Thanks to artistic images,
authors convey basic educational principles to the child. Also, literature like language is an
element of culture. It expresses people’s life and culture they have from one generation to another.
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Сommunication. May it be communication between the reader and the author or between two
persons, literature serves as a way to create meaningful discussions between humans. Very often,
we are impressed by some characters and do not like others. We can agree with a point of view of
the author, and we can disagree with it altogether. Also, a book can be a topic for discussion with
your friends and acquaintances. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1218547-10-functions-literature-
about.html

Entertainment. Literature help us build our own world through our imagination, words from
literature stimulates our mind and give us different emotions just like watching a movie, but it is us
who builds or creates those images from our minds. Even though we live in the digital age with all
forms of entertainment at our fingertips, a lot of people still enjoy reading books to entertain
themselves. After all, books can take you anywhere without you even leaving your couch, and they
can provide you with hours of fun. They don't even have to be fiction; some folks get a kick out of
reading construction manuals. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1218547-10-functions-literature-
about.html

Shaping the aesthetic taste. Literature helps us to form our own vision of beauty. It pleasantly
influences us, our perceptions, standards and changes our behaviour in society and attitude
towards people in general. It helps us to appreciate the beauty around us from the dice of life that
be got through these written works
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Self-development. Literature helps us to develop ourselves because of the knowledge and

wisdom that we get from it. We get life lessons or moral lessons, new ideas about our hobbies,
build our skills and develop our characteristics. Thanks to books, articles, magazines, we have the
opportunity to fill ourselves with new knowledge, cultivate good qualities and strive for something
more. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1218547-10-functions-literature-about.html
Development of thought process A young man reading a book. Photo: Pixabay.com Source: UGC
The more we know, the more we have the desire to tell others about it and find out what they think
about it. As the saying goes: "Truth is born in dispute," and so it is. People very often reflect on
processes, events, knowledge, which they read and discuss various issues with others. Pleasure
We get pleasure every time from reading good verses or beautiful work, or a book with a great
plot, or other interesting facts and scientific works. People spend a lot of time looking for
something that really brings them pleasure, and literature is something that does that. Read
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Shaping speech. The more we read, the more we learn. Reading widens our vocabulary and
develops our speaking or communication skills. Literature creates an opportunity for us to read
and sharpen our speech.

different designs and options for constructing sentences. People can enrich their vocabulary
thanks to literature. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1218547-10-functions-literature-about.html

Transformation A girl reading a book. Photo: pixabay.com Source: UGC Our world is full of
information, and not all of it is good and beautiful, but with the help of literature, we can transform
bad memories into something beautiful. Ordinary characters, events, and settings can be turned
into something artistic, poetic and beautiful. Also, literature can be used to transform societies
through the criticism of societal ills and injustices. Literature as a tool for awareness criticizes
society by pointing out the evils and other injustices in society. When criticized, the people in a
particular society take necessary actions. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1218547-10-functions-
literature-about.html