The Meaning of Literature

 

A shell and a book:-                                         

                   

               A child and a man were one day walking on the seashore when the child found a little shell and held it to his ear. Suddenly he heard sound, strange, low, melodious sound as if the shell were remembering and repeating the murmurs of its Ocean. The child's face filled with wonder as he listened. Here in the shell, apparently, was a voice from another world and he listened with delight of its mystery and music. Then came the man, explaining that the child heard nothing strange; it was not a new world, but only the unnoticed harmony of the old that had aroused the child's wonder.

           Some such experience as this awaits us when we begin the study of literature. The study of literature has always two aspects:-

1. Simple enjoyment and appreciation

2. Analysis and exact description

              Behind every book is a man; behind the man is the race; and behind the race are the natural and social environment whose influence is unconsciously reflected in human life. In a word we have now reached a point where we wish to understand as well as to enjoy literature; and the first step, since exact definition is impossible, is to determine some of its essential qualities:

Qualities of literature:-

1. Artistic quality:-

            "All art is the expression of life

                       in form of truth and beauty."

                  

           All art is reflection of truth and beauty which are in the world,but which remain unnoticed until brought our attention by some sensitive human soul. A hundred men may pass a hay field and see only sweaty toil and the dried grass. But in the poem by Romanian meadow, where girls are making hay and singing as they work. He looks deeper sees truth.

     

       In the same pleasing way, all artistic work must be a kind of revelation. This architecture is probably the oldest art;yet we still have many builders but few architects. Like literature, we have many writers but few artists.

   

          In the broadest send,literature simply means the written records of the race, including all its history and science, as well as it's poems and novels. In the narrow sense, literature is the artistic record of  life. Most of our writing is excluded it.

2. It's suggestiveness:-

            Suggestiveness of literature appeal to our emotions and imagination rather than to our intellect. It's not so much what it says as what it awakens in us that constitutes it's charm. When Milton makes Satan says, "Myself am Hell", he doesn't state any fact, but rather opens up in these three tremendous words a whole world of speculation and imagination.

           

            The province of all art is not to instruct but to delight and only as literature delight us, causing each reader to build in his own soul that "Lordly pleasure house" of which Tennyson dreamed in his " Palace of Art", it is worthy of its name. 

 3. Permanence of literature:-

             The third quality of literature, arising directly from the other two, is it's permanence. The world doesn't live by bread alone. Notwithstanding it's hurry and bustle and apparent absorption in material things, it doesn't willingly let any beautiful thing perish. 

         This even more true of its songs than of its painting and sculpture; though permanence is a quality we should hardly expect in the present deluge of books and magazines pouring day and night from our presses in the name of literature. But this problem of too many book is not modern; as we suppose. But the difference between modern press and the Caxton press is that of modern press can print more copy in a week then all the Alexanderian scholars could copy in a century; but it would not be permanent.

             Literature is like a river in flood, which gradually purifies itself in two ways - the mud settle down to the bottom and the scum rises to the top. When we examine the writings than by common consent constitute our literature, the clear stream purified of its dross in a two more qualities or the test is this it's universality and style.

Test of literature:-

1. Universality:-

              Universality can be called first test of literature that it appeals to the simplest human emotions. Though we speak of national race literature, it is nevertheless true that good literature knows no nationality, not any bounds save humanity. It's occupied chiefly elementary passions and emotions - love and hate, joy and sorrow, fear and death, which are essential part of human nature. Oedipus and Kind Lear are shining examples of the law that only as book or song appeals to universal human interest does it become permanent.

2. Personal Style:-              

            In a broader sense "style is the peculiar manner of expressing thoughts". In a deeper sense "style is the man that is unconscious expression of the writer's own personality. That mean no author can interpret human life without unconsciously giving to it the native hue of his own soul. It is intensely personal element that constitutes style. The deep thought and feeling of the race reflected and colored by the writer's own life experience.

Objects in studying literature:-

             The study of literature has one definite object, and that is to know man who is ever a dual creature; he has an outward and an inner nature, he is not only a doer of deeds but a dreamer of dreams, and to know him the man of any age, we must search deeper than his history. History records his deeds and acts which springs from an ideal and to understand this we must read his literature.

                         

             When we read history of the Anglo-Saxon, for instance, we learn that they were sea rivers, explorers, their habits and novels. Literature doesn't tell us what our ancestors did, but what they thought and felt, how they looked on life, love, death, fear, reverence in God or man. Literature is aspiration of human life. It's preserves ideals of the people.

           Aristotle was profoundly right when he said that, "Poetry is more philosophical"

Gothe explained literature as "The humanization of the whole world".

Importance of literature:-

   

              Like all art, literature is a mere play of imagination, pleasing enough like a new novel, but without any serious or practical importance. Literature preserves the ideals of a people like, love faith, friendship, freedom, which are part of human life most worthy of preservation. All our arts and sciences, even our invention are founded squarely upon ideals; for under every invention is still the dream of "Beowulf", that man may overcome the forces of nature and the foundation of all our sciences and discoveries is the immortal dream that man "Shall be as God, knowing good and evil".

 

           In a word, our whole civilization, freedom, progress, homes, religion, rest of solidary upon ideals for their foundation. Nothing but an ideal ever endure upon earth, which is the main object in studying literature.

Conclusion:-

             Thus, Literature is the expression of life in words of truth and beauty; it is written records of man's life and also reflection of human nature.

                   

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