Literature is a group of works of art made up of words. English literature includes literary works like novels, stories, poems, nonfiction and plays composed in English.
While in high school and general usage, English literature often refers to any literature written in English. Literature most commonly refers to works of the creative imagination, including poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and in some instances, song. It’s difficult to precisely define, though many have tried, but it’s clear that the accepted definition of literature is constantly changing and evolving. For many, the word literature suggests a higher art form, merely putting words on a page doesn’t necessarily mean creating literature.
Some works of literature are considered canonical, that is culturally representative of a particular genre.s In this way, literature is more than just a historical or cultural artifact but can serve as an introduction to a new world of experience. Examines literary language and different approaches to literary criticism designed to increase student confidence when responding to literature. In the attempt to define the term ‘literature’, one can distinguish between two general directions: a broad and a narrow definition.
The broad definition incorporates everything that has been written down in some form or another, i.e., all the written manifestations of a culture (hence, there are terms such as ‘research literature’, ‘the literature on civil rights’, etc.). Needless to say that such a broad definition is problematic as it does not really facilitate communication about the topic.
Furthermore, this concept neglects the fact that in many cultures in the past and for a number of indigenous peoples today, literature has no.
