What Do You Consider Literature?

[WhiteTiger]

Here's an interesting question:

When you think of Literature what comes to mind, the great works from the past, like those from Shakespeare, or do more modern works, like those from Rice or Tolkien, now fall into the definition of Literature as well?


Here's another interesting question:

Who should decide what will be classified as Literature, scholars or the public?

[Capnplank]

I didn't know it was as qualitative a definition as "classic" or some other selective term. When I watch tv at three in the morning I can request some literature on a real estate program. I'm guessing that one slipped past the scholar board.

[mono]

In my opinion, anything written terms as literature; the only big difference separates 'good' literature from 'bad,' which merely seems opinion.
Dictionary.com defines 'literature' as:

1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture.
2. Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value: “Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity” (Rebecca West).
3. The art or occupation of a literary writer.
4. The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field: medical literature.
5. Printed material: collected all the available literature on the subject.
6. Music. All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific instrument or ensemble: the symphonic literature.
I tend to agree with this quote that most people define literature as what society calls 'literature' - such as classic books one finds at a library or bookstore; however, anything written categorizes as some kind of literature - Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, the printed music to Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus, my chemistry textbook, the user's manual to my DVD player, etc.

[scruffy_danny]

When I think of literature I tend to think of written works which have a certain romanticism; that excite you, that make you think, that have style and feel, though as Mono pointed out literature is anything written. But the owrd literature to me suggests intriguing stimulation in reading it, and there are infinite things written down that quite simply don't stimulate me in that sense. I also tend to think of literature meaning in books (prefferably leather bound with gold rims (joking) ). Anyone have the same initial stereotype as me?

[WhiteTiger]

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the term literature is anything that I have enjoyed reading, and will probably read again.

As far as who gets to decide what will be called literature, I don't think that any one group shoul be able to decide that since there is no way they could speak for the whole of society.

[Beaumains]

Anything not by Dan Brown. :lol:

Seriously though, I tend to term literature as books of importance, fiction that has more than just the goal of entertainment or is of high caliber writing (Jane Austen for instance). So basically I do discount most of today's fiction. That includes writers such as James Patterson, John Grisham, Janet Evanovich (sp?), and Tom Clancy.

[Mark F.]

Any written fiction is literature, albeit bad literature. But what about biographies and autobiographies and other non-fiction works? I guess some must be considered literature although a textbook can't be. In the 17th century in France historical writing was considered literature. Anyway, just some random thoughts.

[krishna]

I feel that only way to define literature in a standard way - meaning in a way fairly acceptable to everyone - is the one quoted from Dictionary.com by Mono. Any other characterization necessarily is someone's opinion, which may or may not be acceptable to others.

I personally think of literature as something written which is potentially accessible to anyone and which might be read for the sole enjoyment of it and not for some other end. So this includes a novel, and does not include a user manual, for instance. But most of the time, when I think of literature I think of good literature - according to me. Basically literature created by authors extremely skilled in language and adept at expressing their ideas in the most suitable and pleasing manner and highly imaginative. This is my personal opinion of course.

One might probably attempt to define good literature in an objective way, but I do not know. Any ideas?

[EAP]

Literature cannot be defined objectively unless one encompasses the entire corpus of written languages throughout the history.

All other definations are essentially subjective and only differ in their impact based on the credibility of their creators.