Why Study Literature?

Daniel Zeray
Ms. Junyk
ENG-4U1
Sun Feb 8, 2015 Literature by definition is writing especially featured in poems, books etc., by connecting ideas of lasting and of popular interest. Literature has been around for several millenniums and the first known form of a novel was The Epic of Gilgamesh, so for many years, literature has helped us understand how others feel that aren’t simple to understand. For instance, with the use of poetry, we can better understand the author’s message and feelings much better when they speak about love or hate for example. It is not said aloud, so it is coming straight from the mind and heart and it is written in a way that probably wouldn’t have been said verbally, like in a rhyme, or a haiku. Usually, in anything we read, there are terms and metaphors we must comprehend in between the lines. For example, the color white represented purity in the Great Gatsby and the conch in the Lord of The Flies represented law and order and this helps us better understand various texts when we put together these words because a larger idea is understood. Furthermore, literature can be used by anyone of any age, with any occupation. It further gives us a better understanding of situations, like how in novels we may read about a situation and then it gives us a better understanding on how to act in a situation like that so we are learning from it. We cannot say that it doesn’t have practical value and it is unnecessary