Literature

Literature is any collection of written work. It includes books, stories, poems, and plays, both printed on paper and found online. Literature helps us share ideas, tell stories, and keep history alive. It can be fun to read, but it also helps us understand life, other people, and important ideas.

When people talk about literature as an art form, they often mean books and stories written to be beautiful or meaningful. This can include novels, plays, and poems. But literature is not just fiction; it also includes true stories like biographies, diaries, memoirs, letters, and essays.

As printing and technology have improved, more and more books and writings have become available to everyone. Today, literature can also include oral literature that was spoken before it was written down. Studying literature helps us learn about different cultures, times, and ways of thinking.

Definitions

Further information: Literary work

Ideas about what literature means have changed over time. In Western Europe before the 1700s, the word "literature" meant all books and writing. Today, some areas of study like cultural studies look at many kinds of writing, not just famous or classic works. The word can even describe stories passed down by word of mouth, called "oral literature", or the traditions of groups who did not yet write.

The word comes from the Latin word for "writing". Even though it started with written words, we now also use "literature" to talk about spoken or sung stories. People sometimes call literature "writing", especially when talking about creative writing, or poetically call it "the craft of writing". Some people say that literature only includes the very best writing, part of what is called the belles-lettres tradition.

History

Main article: History of literature

Oral literature

Main article: Oral literature

See also: African literature § Oral literature

The word "literature" comes from a Latin word meaning "letter" or "writing." But long before writing, people told stories and shared knowledge through speaking. This is called oral literature.

Many cultures, like the Australian Aboriginal culture, kept their history and traditions alive by telling stories from one generation to the next. For example, the Gunditjmara people in Victoria have stories about old volcanic eruptions, which match what scientists have found.

Oral literature is found all around the world. It includes poems, stories, and ways to remember history and laws. In Asia, ancient India used special memory techniques to keep their stories and religious texts alive without writing them down.

In Ancient Greece, famous poems like those by Homer were first told and performed out loud. Native North Americans also had rich storytelling traditions that taught lessons about life and nature.

Writing

Further information: History of writing

Around 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, people started writing to keep track of trade and other important things. Writing made it easier to record history, laws, and knowledge.

Early written literature

Main articles: History of literature, Ancient literature, and History of books

Ancient Egyptian literature and Sumerian literature are some of the oldest in the world. Early writing included poems, stories, and religious texts. In ancient China, writing focused on philosophy, history, and poetry.

In ancient India, stories were first told orally before being written down. The Vedas are very old religious texts. Later came great stories like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

The earliest Greek writings are from around 1600–1100 BC, but real literature started later. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are famous ancient Greek poems. Other important writers include Plato, Aristotle, Sappho, and Herodotus.

The Torah, a key religious text for Jews, was written down during the Persian period. It became an important part of the Bible.

Roman literature began in 240 BC with translations of Greek plays. Over time, Latin literature grew to include many kinds of writing.

The Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, began in the early 600s AD. It had a big effect on the Arabic language and literature.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, most books were written in Latin and focused on religion. Later, stories in the local languages, like German and Icelandic, became popular.

Publishing

Publishing became possible when people learned to write, but it really took off with the invention of printing. Before printing, books were copied by hand, which took a lot of time.

The Chinese inventor Bi Sheng created movable type around 1045. Later, around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type in Europe, making books cheaper and more available.

University discipline

In England

Main article: English studies

In the 1820s in England, people began thinking about studying English literature in universities. This idea grew from a wish to create a well-educated and culturally united nation.

America

Main article: American literature (academic discipline)

Women and literature

Further information: French literature, German literature, Russian literature, and English poetry § Women poets in the 18th century

For a long time, most writers were men because women didn’t have as much education. In the 1800s, some women writers became famous, like Emily Brontë, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Emily Dickinson. George Sand, a French writer, was very popular in her time.

The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was Selma Lagerlöf in 1909.

Children's literature

Children’s books began to appear in the 1700s. Early books taught children letters, numbers, and good behavior, often with pictures of animals and nature.

Study and criticism

Main article: Literary criticism

Literary theory

Further information: Literary theory and Philosophy and literature § The philosophy of literature

A big question in studying literature is "what is literature?" Many experts today think that "literature" might not have one clear definition, or that it can mean any kind of writing using language.

Literary fiction

Further information: Western canon § Literary canon

Literary fiction is a type of story that looks at parts of what it means to be human, and may also talk about things happening in society. It is often thought to have more artistic value than other kinds of stories, like those that sell the most copies, but this idea is being questioned more now. Universities are taking a closer look at all types of stories.

Each year, the world’s best literature is honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. This prize goes to a writer from any country who has created a wonderful piece of work, as stated by the wishes of Alfred Nobel.

The value of imaginative literature

Some researchers believe that reading stories can help people grow. Experts have used stories to help with personal growth. They say that spending time feeling what a character feels can connect people and let readers see life from new angles. One study showed that stories with familiar ideas can help students, especially those from minority groups, do better.

Ideas from psychologist Maslow's work help us see how characters in stories show their own culture and history. These ideas suggest that stories help people work toward becoming their best selves.

Aesthetic value

Further information: Aesthetic judgment and Value judgment

The influence of religious texts

Further information: Islamic literature and King James Version § Influence

Religion has played a big role in shaping literature. Important religious books like the Vedas, the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran have influenced many writers and readers.

The King James Version of the Bible is very famous. Many people think it is one of the most important books in the English-speaking world. Even some people who do not believe in religion, like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, have said nice things about how beautiful the writing in this version is.

In places where speaking about religion was very important, or where leaders controlled what people could read and write, many stories and books had religious ideas in them. Studying these religious books closely also helped people learn new ways to understand and talk about literature.

Types

Poetry

Main article: Poetry

Poetry is a special kind of writing that uses beautiful language, rhythm, and sound. It is often written in lines and verses instead of paragraphs. Poetry can also use digital tools, sound, or even shapes to create its effect. It is one of the oldest forms of writing, often passed down by speaking before people could write.

Prose

Main article: Prose

Prose is ordinary writing that does not use the special rhythm and sounds found in poetry. Over time, the difference between poetry and prose has become less clear. Some books, called verse novels, tell long stories using poetic lines.

Novel

Main article: Novel

See also: Genre fiction and Hypertext fiction

A novel is a long made-up story written in ordinary language. The word "novel" began as a way to describe something new. Novels often feel real and close to everyday life, unlike older stories that might include magic or amazing events.

Novella

Main article: Novella

A novella is a short book — shorter than a novel but longer than a short story.

Short story

Main article: Short story

A short story is a brief made-up tale. It can be hard to say exactly what makes a story "short" because many short tales exist in old writings.

Graphic novel

Main article: Graphic novel

Graphic novels and comic books tell stories using pictures, words, and conversation.

Electronic literature

Electronic literature is writing made only for digital devices.

Non-fiction

Common literary examples of non-fiction include the essay; travel literature; biography, autobiography and memoir; journalism; letter; diary; history, philosophy, economics; scientific, nature, and technical writings.

Drama

Drama is writing meant to be performed. It is usually spoken by actors in a theatre. A play is a written drama meant to be acted out on a stage. Some dramas are written to be read instead of performed. Most dramas used to be written in verses, but this changed over time.

The oldest known dramas come from Greek drama, which were often based on famous stories or myths. In the 1900s, scripts for radio, television, and film also became a type of drama.

Law

Law and literature

The law and literature movement studies how law and writing are connected.

Copyright

Further information: History of copyright

Copyright is a rule that lets the creator control who can copy their work, like books or songs, for a certain time. It protects the way an idea is shown, not the idea itself.

United Kingdom

Copyright has protected books from being copied without permission since 1710. In the UK, literary works include any written piece that is not a play or music.

United States

The copyright law of the United States started in colonial times and became federal law in 1790. It has been updated many times, with a big change in 1976.

European Union

The copyright law of the European Union applies to all EU countries, though each country may have small differences. These rules come from EU directives that each country must follow.

Copyright in communist countries

Further information: Copyright in Russia, Copyright law of the Soviet Union, and Intellectual property in China

Copyright in Japan

Japan joined the international rules for copyright in 1899. Originally, copyright lasted 50 years after an author's death, but Japan changed this to 70 years for all types of work in 2018.

Censorship

Further information: Book censorship, Theatre censorship, and Film censorship

Sometimes governments or groups try to stop certain books or plays from being shown or read. They might do this for political reasons or because the content is controversial.

One famous example is James Joyce’s book Ulysses, which many people consider a great work of art. It was not allowed in the United States from 1921 to 1933 because some people thought it was inappropriate. Today, it is widely studied in schools around the world.

Awards

There are many awards that recognize great work in literature. These awards often focus on things like the type of writing, the language used, or the author's country.

One famous award is the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was created in 1895. It is given to authors for all of their work together, not just one book. Other well-known awards open to writers from all countries include the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the Man Booker International Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Hugo Award, Guardian First Book Award, and the Franz Kafka Prize.