Literature is the art of written work the word

Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means «acquaintance with letters» (from Latin littera letter). In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction

The word «literature» has different meanings depending on who is using it. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. In a more narrow sense the term could mean only text composed of letters, or other examples of symbolic written language (Egyptian hieroglyphs, for example). An even more narrow interpretation is that text have a physical form, such as on paper or some other portable form, to the exclusion of inscriptions or digital media. The Muslim scholar and philosopher Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (702-765 AD) defined Literature as follows: «Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive.»[1] added that literature is a slice of life that has been given direction and meaning, an artistic interpretation of the world according to the percipient’s point of views. Frequently, the texts that make up literature crossed over these boundaries. Russian Formalist Roman Jakobson defines literature as «organized violence committed on ordinary speech», highlighting literature’s deviation from the day-to-day and conversational structure of words. Illustrated stories, hypertexts, cave paintings and inscribed monuments have all at one time or another pushed the boundaries of «literature.»

People may perceive a difference between «literature» and some popular forms of written work. The terms «literary fiction» and «literary merit» often serve to distinguish between individual works. For example, almost all literate people perceive the works of Charles Dickens as «literature,» whereas some critics[citation needed] look down on the works of Jeffrey Archer as unworthy of inclusion under the general heading of «English literature.» Critics may exclude works from the classification «literature,» for example, on the grounds of a poor standard of grammar and syntax, of an unbelievable or disjointed story-line, or of inconsistent or unconvincing characters. Genre fiction (for example: romance, crime, or science fiction) may also become excluded from consideration as «literature.»

History

One of the earliest known literary works is the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem dated around 2700 B.C., which deals with themes of heroism, friendship, loss, and the quest for eternal life. Different historical periods have emphasized various characteristics of literature. Early works often had an overt or covert religious or didactic purpose. Moralizing or prescriptive literature stems from such sources. The exotic nature of romance flourished from the Middle Ages onwards, whereas the Age of Reason manufactured nationalistic epics and philosophical tracts. Romanticism emphasized the popular folk literature and emotive involvement, but gave way in the 19th-century West to a phase of realism and naturalism, investigations into what is real. The 20th century brought demands for symbolism or psychological insight in the delineation and development of character.

Poetry

A poem is defined as a composition written in verse (although verse has been equally used for epic and dramatic fiction). Poems rely heavily on imagery, precise word choice, and metaphor; they may take the form of measures consisting of patterns of stresses (metric feet) or of patterns of different-length syllables (as in classical prosody); and they may or may not utilize rhyme. One cannot readily characterize poetry precisely. Typically though, poetry as a form of literature makes some significant use of the formal properties of the words it uses — the properties attached to the written or spoken form of the words, rather than to their meaning. Metre depends on syllables and on rhythms of speech; rhyme and alliteration depend on words

Poetry perhaps pre-dates other forms of literature: early known examples include the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh (dated from around 2700 B.C.), parts of the Bible, the surviving works of Homer (the Iliad and the Odyssey), and the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. In cultures based primarily on oral traditions the formal characteristics of poetry often have a mnemonic function, and important texts: legal, genealogical or moral, for example, may appear first in verse form.

Some poetry uses specific forms: the haiku, the limerick, or the sonnet, for example. A traditional haiku written in Japanese must have something to do with nature, contain seventeen onji (syllables), distributed over three lines in groups of five, seven, and five, and should also have a kigo, a specific word indicating a season. A limerick has five lines, with a rhyme scheme of AABBA, and line lengths of 3,3,2,2,3 stressed syllables. It traditionally has a less reverent attitude towards nature. Poetry not adhering to a formal poetic structure is called «free verse»

Language and tradition dictate some poetic norms: Persian poetry always rhymes, Greek poetry rarely rhymes, Italian or French poetry often does, English and German can go either way (although modern non-rhyming poetry often, perhaps unfairly, has a more «serious» aura). Perhaps the most paradigmatic style of English poetry, blank verse, as exemplified in works by Shakespeare and by Milton, consists of unrhymed iambic pentameters. Some languages prefer longer lines; some shorter ones. Some of these conventions result from the ease of fitting a specific language’s vocabulary and grammar into certain structures, rather than into others; for example, some languages contain more rhyming words than others, or typically have longer words. Other structural conventions come about as the result of historical accidents, where many speakers of a language associate good poetry with a verse form preferred by a particular skilled or popular poet.

Works for theatre (see below) traditionally took verse form. This has now become rare outside opera and musicals, although many would argue that the language of drama remains intrinsically poetic.

In recent years, digital poetry has arisen that takes advantage of the artistic, publishing, and synthetic qualities of digital media.

Prose

Prose consists of writing that does not adhere to any particular formal structures (other than simple grammar); «non-poetic» writing, perhaps. The term sometimes appears pejoratively, but prosaic writing simply says something without necessarily trying to say it in a beautiful way, or using beautiful words. Prose writing can of course take beautiful form; but less by virtue of the formal features of words (rhymes, alliteration, metre) but rather by style, placement, or inclusion of graphics. But one need not mark the distinction precisely, and perhaps cannot do so. One area of overlap is «prose poetry», which attempts to convey using only prose, the aesthetic richness typical of poetry.

Essays

An essay consists of a discussion of a topic from an author’s personal point of view, exemplified by works by Francis Bacon or by Charles Lamb.

‘Essay’ in English derives from the French ‘essai’, meaning ‘attempt’. Thus one can find open-ended, provocative and/or inconclusive essays. The term «essays» first applied to the self-reflective musings of Michel de Montaigne, and even today he has a reputation as the father of this literary form.

Genres related to the essay may include:

the memoir, telling the story of an author’s life from the author’s personal point of view

the epistle: usually a formal, didactic, or elegant letter.

Fiction

Narrative fiction (narrative prose) generally favours prose for the writing of novels, short stories, graphic novels, and the like. Singular examples of these exist throughout history, but they did not develop into systematic and discrete literary forms until relatively recent centuries. Length often serves to categorize works of prose fiction. Although limits remain somewhat arbitrary, modern publishing conventions dictate the following:

A Mini Saga is a short story of exactly 50 words

A Flash fiction is generally defined as a piece of prose under a thousand words.

A short story comprises prose writing of between 1000 and 20,000 words (but typically more than 500 words), which may or may not have a narrative arc.

A story containing between 20,000 and 50,000 words falls into the novella category.

A work of fiction containing more than 50,000 words falls squarely into the realm of the novel.

A novel consists simply of a long story written in prose, yet the form developed comparatively recently. Icelandic prose sagas dating from about the 11th century bridge the gap between traditional national verse epics and the modern psychological novel. In mainland Europe, the Spaniard Cervantes wrote perhaps the first influential novel: Don Quixote, the first part of which was published in 1605 and the second in 1615. Earlier collections of tales, such as Boccaccio’s Decameron and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, have comparable forms and would classify as novels if written today. Earlier works written in Asia resemble even more strongly the novel as we now think of it — for example, works such as the Chinese Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Japanese Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki. Compare to The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.

Early novels in Europe did not, at the time, count as significant literature, perhaps because «mere» prose writing seemed easy and unimportant. It has become clear, however, that prose writing can provide aesthetic pleasure without adhering to poetic forms. Additionally, the freedom authors gain in not having to concern themselves with verse structure translates often into a more complex plot or into one richer in precise detail than one typically finds even in narrative poetry. This freedom also allows an author to experiment with many different literary and presentation styles — including poetry— in the scope of a single novel.

—> ЧИТАТЬ ПОЛНОСТЬЮ <—

THE
BEST PRESENT IS A BOOK

Exercise
1.
Read the text and say:

1. if
   you agree with the criteria of “true” literature;

2. what
   is your favorite literature genre.

Literature
is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means
«acquaintance with letters». In Western culture the most
basic written literary types include fiction and non-fiction.
People
may perceive a difference between «literature» and some
popular forms of written work.

Critics may exclude works
from the classification «literature,» for example, on the
grounds of a poor standard of grammar and syntax, of an unbelievable
or disjointed story-line, or of inconsistent or unconvincing
characters. Genre fiction (for example: romance, crime, or science
fiction) may also become excluded from consideration as
«literature.»

The most general genres in
literature are epic, tragedy, comedy, novel, short story, and
creative nonfiction. They can all be in the genres prose or poetry.
Additionally, a genre such as satire, allegory or pastoral might
appear in any of the above, not only as a sub-genre, but as a
mixture of genres.

Genres are often divided
into sub-genres. Literature, for instance, is divided into three
basic kinds of literature, classic genres of Ancient Greece, poetry,
drama, and prose. Poetry may then be subdivided into epic, lyric,
and dramatic.

Exercise
2. Say
if the following statements true or false. Give your reasons.

1. All
   people perceive a difference between “literature” and some
   popular forms of written work.

2. A
   written work is judged not only by its contents but also by the
   form it is written in.

3. There
   are two main literary genres: prose and poetry.

4. Fiction
   is not considered to be one of the genres of “true” literature.

Text 9

Exercise
1. There
are 900 museums and art galleries in Britain. Do you know the number
of museums in your republic (region, district, town)? Do you often
go to museums? What kind of museums do you prefer?

Exercise
2. Read
about one of Russian picture galleries and be ready to answer
questions.

The tretyakov gallery

One of the best-known picture
galleries in Russia is the State Tretyakov Gallery. It is housed in
a small but very Russian-looking building in the centre of Moscow.
The Gallery takes its name after its founder P.M. Tretyakov, who
began to collect Russian paintings in 1856 for the purpose of
bringing art close to all people.

The
gallery contains halls devoted to Old Russian painting, to great
painters of the 18^th
and 19^th
centuries, and to modern art.

Probably the best-known among
the Old Russian painters is Andrei Rublyov. His “Trinity”
painted about the year 1411, is remarkable because, although it is
the manner of the old icon painters, it is more humanistic and
reflects in a new way the life and soul of Russian people.

Tretyakov began his
collection with the works of the “peredvizhniki” – the artists
who belonged to the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions, so it is
natural that canvases of masters such as Kramskoy, Perov and Ghe
have a big place there. Well-known to lovers of art all over the
world are “Morning in a Pine Wood” by Shishkin and “Ivan
Tsarevich on the Grey Wolf” by Vasnetsov, “Golden Autumn” by
Levitan, “Volga Boatmen” by Repin.

There are a lot of exhibits
in the gallery of the Soviet period in art. For example, the gallery
contains a lot of works by Ioganson, Gerasimov, Plastov and others.

The Tretyakov Gallery also
organizes exhibitions in other towns and cities. Thus it continues
the tradition of its founder to bring real art to people.

Exercise
3.
Questions:

1. Why is the gallery named in
   this way?

2. Whose
   works can we see in the halls of the gallery?

3. What was and is the main
   task of the gallery?

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Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means «acquaintance with letters» (from Latin «littera» letter). In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and non- fiction.

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Литература (лат. lit(t)eratura, написанное, от lit(t)era буква) в широком смысле слова: совокупность любых письменных текстов. Чаще всего под литературой понимают художественную литературу, то есть литературу как вид искусства.

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Epic poetry is a form of poetry. It is one of the main forms of poetry, with lyrics and drama. Epic poetry is usually very long, and takes place in different settings

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Э́пос (др.-греч. πος «слово», «повествование») героическое повествование о прошлом, содержащее целостную картину народной жизни и представляющее в гармоническом единстве некий эпический мир героев.

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Трагедия Жанр художественного произведения, основанный на развитии событий, приводящем к катастрофическому для персонажей исходу

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In theatre, a tragedy is a play that ends badly for the hero or heroine or others. A tragedy is usually about a person who has many good qualities, but has one poor quality that causes trouble for him, and may cause him, or his family or friends, to be in trouble.

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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

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Драма Один из трех основных родов литературы (наряду с эпосом и лирикой), представляющий собою произведения, построенные обычно в форме диалога и предназначенные для исполнения актерами на сцене.

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Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning «action», which is derived from the verb meaning «to do» or «to act»

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Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing. From William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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КОМЕДИЯ вид драматургического произведения. Отображает все уродливое и нелепое, смешное и несуразное, высмеивает пороки общества Комедия

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COMEDY — kind of dramatic works. Displays all ugly and ridiculous, ridiculous and absurd, ridicules vices of the society Comedy

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Charlie Chaplin, a well-known comedian

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ЛИРИЧЕСКОЕ СТИХОТВОРЕНИЕ вид художественной литературы, эмоционально и поэтически выражающий чувства автора

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Lyric poems (prose) — a kind of fiction, emotionally and poetically expresses the author’s feelings

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Мелодрама вид драмы, действующие лица которой резко делятся на положительных и отрицательных.

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Оноре Домье

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STORY — average shape; work, which highlights a number of events in the life of the protagonist

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Повесть средняя форма; произведение, в котором освещается ряд событий в жизни главного героя

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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Robinson Cruose

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Here are the names of some famous British writers whose portraits are exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery.

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Here are some more names of well-known British writers : William Shakespeare Daniel Defoe Walter Scott Robert Burns Lewis Carroll Charles Dickens Oscar Wilde

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Charles Dickens Charles Dickens ( ) -an English novelist. His many famous books describe life in Vicktorian England and show how hard it was, especially for the poor and for children. They include : Oliver Tvist, David Copperfield.

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( ) — a Scottish writer and a poet, especially famous for his stories of Scottish life, several of them are based on historical characters, such as Ivanhoe and The Heart of Midlothian Walter Scott

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( ) -an English writer of plays,one of the most famous ever. Among the most famous of his plays are the tragedies of Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, the comedies of A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and the historical plays Richard ııı and Henry V. He also wrote some very good poetry, especially the Sonnets, and worked as an actor at the Globe Theatre in London. William Shakespeare

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( ) -a Scottish poet who wrote hundred of songs and poems, mainly on country life,love,and national pride Robert Burns

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( ) — An English writer, whose most famous novels are Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders Daniel Defoe

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( ) -an English writer who wrote two well-known childrens stories, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. His real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson Lewis Carroll

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( ) -an Irish writer best known for his play The Importance of Being Earnest and his story The Picture of Dorian Gray. Many of the clever and funny things he said in conversations are still fam ous Oscar Wilde

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Match the names of the writers and the countries they came from William Shakespeare Daniel Defoe Walter Scott Robert Burns Lewis Carroll Oscar Wilde England Scotland Ireland Charles Dickens

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Match the names of the writers and the books they are famous for : William Shakespeare Daniel Defoe Walter Scott Robert Burns Lewis Carroll Oscar Wilde Charles Dickens David Copperfield The Heart of Midlothian Romeo and Juliet songs and poems Robinson Crusoe Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The Picture of Dorian Gray.

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AJ Books, literature, favourite writer

Books v Internet (will books survive?)

Books v films (films based on book, what is usually better a
book or a film)

Your reading habits (why people read, how and what)

Introduction to literature:

Literature is the art of written work and can.

The word literature literally means ,,things made from
letters.

At first I would like to tell you something about structure of
literature.

We have 3 basic types/genders of literature are 1) lyrics = it
is always subjective, leading

form is poetry

2) epic = it is always objective (real experience),

story usually takes place in the past

3) drama = dialogue and monologue, plot is very

important, often like a play in theatres

These genders of literature came from Aristotles Poetics. He
studied the shape of a literary work.

It is also important that we make a difference between form and
technique.

Two major techniques are poetry and prose.

Poetry = verse. It is written by poets. They use art mediums
like as rhyme, rythm, symbolism and some others.

Two major forms are fiction and non fiction. Non fictions are
about something, what really happened. Fictions are made up
stories.

Basic facts from the history of literature

The earliest surviving work of literature is The Epic of
Gilgamesh. It is an epic poem from Mesopotamia and main character
is Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk. 4 000 B.C.

Bible is a canonical collection of texts considered sacred in
Judaism od Christianity. Bible is structured in two parts Hebrew
Bible (includes historical, liturgical, legal and literary texts)
and Christian Bibles .

Indian literature is famous for scriptures Vedic Sanskrit
(Vedas) . Epic of mahbhrata and Rmjana.

Antique literature Greek literature

British literature

1) The old English literature and Anglo Saxon period

The earliest British literature was written in the AngloSaxon
language.

It was poetry dealing with heroic or legendary episodes from the
history of the

Germanic tribes.

The most famous is the epic (heroic) poem known as Beowulf,
which was written by

an unknown author probably in the 8th century.

2) The middle English literature

During the middle Ages the Roman Catholic Church was strongly
criticized by John

Wycliffe. He was a professor at Oxford University. He and
translated the

whole Bible into English.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales It is a brilliant
portrait of 30 pilgrims who travel to Canterbury and each tells
four stories. In this way we are given a vivid picture of the l4
century society.

In 1476 William Caxton introduced printing In England which
helped spread literature and philosophy.

3) The Renaissance

One of the most important British author of all times is William
Shakespeare.

He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. He got married with older
woman Ann. They

had 5 children, 2 daughters, twins and 1 son, named Hamlet who
died at 11 years.

He started his theatre work in 2 theatres — Theatre and Curtain.
Both (theatres) were

owned by James Burbage. He owned one stock in the Globe
Theatre.

He wrote more than 37 plays and sonnets. Comedies Midnight
Summer, The

Merchant of Venice, Comedy of Error; historical plays Henry
VIII, V, IV; tragedies

Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet.

4) Neoclassical Period / The Age of Reason

Daniel Defoe was a journalist and pamphleteer and founder of
English novel. He is

famous for his popular novel Robinson Crusoe. It is the story
about man living on a

lonely island.

Jonathan Swift was a critic. He wrote satirical pamphlets on all
unfair events in

British society. He criticizes politics in England, kingdoms,
corruption, armies, bad

politicians, etc. His most popular work is Gullivers
travels.

5) Romanticism

This period is characterized by Lake Poets William Wordsworth,
Samuel Taylor

Coleridge. They created their works in a lake district. Their
works are mainly about

nature. We can read about grass, trees and dew. ( lyrical
ballads)

Walter Scott was a founder of the historical novel. His most
famous work is

Ivanhoe.

Henry Fielding was a journalist, lawyer and playwright. Fielding
is considered as

the founder of the Modern English novel. He wrote a realistic
novel Tom Jones where

he described the life in the 18th century England.

6) Victorian Age (Critical Realism)

Charles Dickens described the true life of poor people in
England in the 19th

century. He combined comic and serious situations and accused
bath the aristocracy

and the middle class of acting heartlessly towards the common
people. Among his

major novels belong David Copperfield, Great Expectations, and
Oliver Twist.

Two of the best authors of this time are Emily Bronte who wrote
Wuthering

Heights and Charlotte Bronte, her sister who wrote Jane Eyre.
Both are about moral

and psychological problems.

7) The Modern Age

Oscar Wilde was from Dublin. He reacted against Victorian
society and its values/stress on decency, good family, conventional
behaviour/. He provoked the society by wearing extravagant clothes,
behaving in a non-conformist way and writing immoral books. He went
through a lot of scandals and finally went to live in France but
was unable to earn his living. He lived of the generosity of his
friends.He wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, many excellent dramas
and fairy tails in which he sympathizes with the poor and
unhappy.

George Bernard Shaw is the most famous personality in drama of
this period. He attacked the whole society. He wrote Pygmalion. He
was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1925.

Contenporary Literature

George Orwell wrote excellent allegorical novels criticizing
totalitarian society. You probably recognize the names of Animal
Farm and 1984 — describes a future world where every word and
action are controlled and seen by the state. The special TV watches
people even in their bedrooms. The language undergoes significant
changes too. Its the world without love, friendship, privacy, humor
or truth. The all-powerful, All-seeing Party controls everything.
The symbol is Big Brother whom nobody knows. A new language
Newspeak is formed. The main hero who wants to protest — love and
live normally is totally crashed — not physically only, but
psychically as well / the prison/. .

Everyone should also known names as Jane Austen (Pride and
Prejudice), Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book), John Galsworthy
(Forsyte Saga), Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot, Ms. Marple), James
Joyce (Ulysses), Virginia Woolf, William Goldwing, Kingsley Amis,
R.R.Tolkien and John Osbourne.

American literature

1) 18th century

Washington Irving wrote about history of settlement of the USA.
He is famous for his Sketch Book ( traditional Indian stories
against white people). He also wrote (about) History of New
York.

2) 19th century

Edgar Allan Poe is the founder of detective stories. He became
an orphan. He got married to his 13-year old cousin. Poe started to
write because he needed money.

He is famous for The Raven (Never more), The Black Cat, The Pit
and The Pendulum and The Red Mask.

American Renaissance

Herman Melville wrote The Moby Dick. It is about whaleboat which
name is Pequod.

The Civil War and The Gilded Age (poor x rich difficulties)

Walt Whitman is considered as the founder of American poetry. He
wrote The

Leaves of Grass.

Mark Twain was a humorist and story writer. He wrote a novel The
Gilded Age.

Twain also wrote The Adventured of Tom Sawyer and The Adventured
of Huckleberry Finn. Both works are about adventures of boyhood and
free child.

Realism and naturalism

Jack London was a short story writer. He was born into poor
family. London travelled to Alaska, where he got inspiration for
his novels. He wrote autobiographical work Martin Eden. It is about
a young proletarian autodidact struggling to become a writer.

3) 20th century

Francis Scott Fitzgerald is the author of Great Gatsby. Great
Gatsby is about

differences between higher and lower social class and about
love.

Lost Generation

Ernest Hemingway he was awarded the Nobel Prize. Ernest fought
in wars (he was seriously injured in the Spanish war) where he
worked as a newspaper reporter. He loved travelling, fishing and
adventures. At the end he committed a suicide. Hemingway is famous
for The Old Man and The Sea, A Farwell to Arms, For Whom the Bell
Tolls and Fiesta.

The Great Depression (Economy Depression)

John Steinbecks most famous work is The Grapes of Wrath. It is a
picture of poor family which is work for the fruit — growers in
California.

Jerome David Salinger died in 2010. The Catcher in the Rye is
his most famous work. This story is about a teenager Holden.

Very important authors are also William Styron with his Sophies
Choice, Jack Kerouac, Eugene ONeil and Allen Ginsberg

4

Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:4.7 / 20 votes

1. literaturenoun

   creative writing of recognized artistic value

2. literature, litnoun

   the humanistic study of a body of literature

   «he took a course in Russian lit»

3. literaturenoun

   published writings in a particular style on a particular subject

   «the technical literature»; «one aspect of Waterloo has not yet been treated in the literature»

4. literaturenoun

   the profession or art of a writer

   «her place in literature is secure»

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.3 / 9 votes

1. literaturenoun

   The body of all written works.

2. literaturenoun

   The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group or culture.

3. literaturenoun

   All the papers, treatises etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.

4. literaturenoun

   Written fiction of a high standard.

   SF is rarely literature because the characters are so poorly realised. — Adam Cadre

5. Etymology: From literatura or litteratura.

Samuel Johnson’s DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literaturenoun

   Learning; skill in letters.

   Etymology: literatura, Latin.

   This kingdom hath been famous for good literature; and if preferment attend deservers, there will not want supplies.
   Francis Bacon, Advice to Villiers.

   When men of learning are acted by a knowledge of the world, they give a reputation to literature, and convince the world of its usefulness.
   Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 377.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Literature

   Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of which has been transcribed. Literature is a method of recording, preserving, and transmitting knowledge and entertainment, and can also have a social, psychological, spiritual, or political role.
   Literature, as an art form, can also include works in various non-fiction genres, such as biography, diaries, memoir, letters, and the essay. Within its broad definition, literature includes non-fictional books, articles or other printed information on a particular subject.Etymologically, the term derives from Latin literatura/litteratura «learning, a writing, grammar,» originally «writing formed with letters,» from litera/littera «letter». In spite of this, the term has also been applied to spoken or sung texts. Developments in print technology have allowed an ever-growing distribution and proliferation of written works, which now includes electronic literature.
   Literature is classified according to whether it is poetry, prose or drama, and such works are categorized according to historical periods, or their adherence to certain aesthetic features, or genre.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.8 / 8 votes

1. Literaturenoun

   learning; acquaintance with letters or books

2. Literaturenoun

   the collective body of literary productions, embracing the entire results of knowledge and fancy preserved in writing; also, the whole body of literary productions or writings upon a given subject, or in reference to a particular science or branch of knowledge, or of a given country or period; as, the literature of Biblical criticism; the literature of chemistry

3. Literaturenoun

   the class of writings distinguished for beauty of style or expression, as poetry, essays, or history, in distinction from scientific treatises and works which contain positive knowledge; belles-lettres

4. Literaturenoun

   the occupation, profession, or business of doing literary work

FreebaseRate this definition:3.7 / 19 votes

1. Literature

   Literature is the art of written work and can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. The word literature literally means «things made from letters» and the pars pro toto term «letters» is sometimes used to signify «literature,» as in the figures of speech «arts and letters» and «man of letters.» Literature is commonly classified as having two major forms—fiction & non-fiction—and two major techniques—poetry and prose.
   Literature may consist of texts based on factual information, as well as on original imagination, such as polemical works as well as autobiography, and reflective essays as well as belles-lettres. Literature can be classified according to historical periods, genres, and political influences. The concept of genre, which earlier was limited, has broadened over the centuries. A genre consists of artistic works which fall within a certain central theme, and examples of genre include romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, erotica, and adventure, among others.
   Important historical periods in English literature include Old English, Middle English, the Renaissance, the 17th Century Shakespearean and Elizabethan times, the 18th Century Restoration, 19th Century Victorian, and 20th Century Modernism. Important intellectual movements that have influenced the study of literature include feminism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis, post-structuralism, post-modernism, romanticism, and Marxism.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 4 votes

1. Literature

   lit′ėr-a-tūr, n. the science of letters or what is written: the whole body of literary compositions in any language, or on a given subject: all literary productions except those relating to positive science and art, usually confined, however, to the belles-lettres.—adj. Lit′eratured (Shak.), learned, having literary knowledge.—Light literature, books which can be read and understood without mental exertion: fiction; Polite literature, belles-lettres. [Fr.,—L. literatura—litera, a letter.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:3.7 / 6 votes

1. Literature

   defined by Carlyle «as an ‘apocalypse of nature,’ a revealing of the ‘open secret,’ a ‘continuous revelation’ of the God-like in the terrestrial and common, which ever endures there, and is brought out now in this dialect, now in that, with various degrees of clearness … there being touches of it (i. e. the God-like) in the dark stormful indignation of a Byron, nay, in the withered mockery of a French sceptic, his mockery of the false, a love and worship of the true … how much more in the sphere harmony of a Shakespeare, the cathedral music of a Milton; something of it too in those humble, genuine, lark-notes of a Burns, skylark starting from the humble furrow far overhead into the blue depths, and singing to us so genuinely there.»

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:2.5 / 6 votes

1. literature

   The art of saying a thing by saying something else just as good.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:3.3 / 6 votes

1. Literature

   Writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. The body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age. (Webster, 3d ed)

Matched Categories

1. • Literary Study
   • Literature
   • Profession
   • Writing

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘literature’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1951

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘literature’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #4389

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word ‘literature’ in Nouns Frequency: #886

How to pronounce literature?

How to say literature in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of literature in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of literature in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of literature in a Sentence

1. Simone Weil:

   When science, art, literature, and philosophy are simply the manifestation of personality they are on a level where glorious and dazzling achievements are possible, which can make a man’s name live for thousands of years. But above this level, far above, separated by an abyss, is the level where the highest things are achieved. These things are essentially anonymous.

2. Roland Barthes:

   Literature is without proofs. By which it must be understood that it cannot prove, not only what it says, but even that it is worth the trouble of saying it.

3. Harriet Beecher Stowe:

   The literature of a people must so ring from the sense of its nationality; and nationality is impossible without self-respect, and self-respect is impossible without liberty.

4. Edgar Allan Poe, From a letter to Frederick W. Thomas (February 14, 1849).:

   Depend upon it, after all, Thomas, Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man. For my own part, there is no seducing me from the path.

5. President Donald Trump on Saturday:

   I thought it was terrible what he did, to write a letter. I mean, this isn’t a class on literature. This is a captain of a massive ship that’s nuclear powered, and he shouldn’t be talking that way in a letter. He could call and ask and suggest.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for literature

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

• literaturaAragonese
• الأدبArabic
• ədəbiyyatAzerbaijani
• әҙәбиәтBashkir
• літарату́раBelarusian
• литератураBulgarian
• সাহিত্যBengali
• literaturaCatalan, Valencian
• literaturaCzech
• llênWelsh
• litteraturDanish
• LiteraturGerman
• λογοτεχνία, βιβλιογραφίαGreek
• literaturoEsperanto
• literaturaSpanish
• literatuurEstonian
• literaturaBasque
• ادبیات, ادبPersian
• kirjallisuusFinnish
• bókmentirFaroese
• littératureFrench
• literatuerWestern Frisian
• litríochtIrish
• litreachasScottish Gaelic
• literaturaGalician
• ספרותHebrew
• साहित्यHindi
• irodalomHungarian
• գրականությունArmenian
• litteraturaInterlingua
• kesusasteraanIndonesian
• literaturoIdo
• bókmenntirIcelandic
• letteraturaItalian
• 文献, 資料, 文学Japanese
• sastraJavanese
• ლიტერატურაGeorgian
• әдебиетKazakh
• ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯKannada
• 문학Korean
• litteraeLatin
• LiteraturLuxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
• literatuurLimburgish, Limburgan, Limburger
• literatūraLithuanian
• literatūraLatvian
• mātātuhiMāori
• литератураMacedonian
• സാഹിത്യംMalayalam
• sastera, persuratan, kesusasteraanMalay
• letteraturaMaltese
• litteraturNorwegian
• साहित्यNepali
• literatuurDutch
• litteraturNorwegian
• literaturaOccitan
• ସାହିତ୍ୟOriya
• literaturaPolish
• literaturaPortuguese
• literaturăRomanian
• литератураRussian
• književnost, књижевност, literaturaSerbo-Croatian
• literatúraSlovak
• literaturaSlovene
• letërsi, literaturëAlbanian
• litteraturSwedish
• இலக்கியம்Tamil
• วรรณกรรมThai
• literatura, panitikanTagalog
• edebiyat, literatür, yazınTurkish
• ئەدەبىياتUyghur, Uighur
• літератураUkrainian
• ادبUrdu
• văn học, văn chươngVietnamese
• literatVolapük
• 文学Chinese

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• Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
• Românește (Romanian)
• Nederlands (Dutch)
• Ελληνικά (Greek)
• Latinum (Latin)
• Svenska (Swedish)
• Dansk (Danish)
• Suomi (Finnish)
• فارسی (Persian)
• ייִדיש (Yiddish)
• հայերեն (Armenian)
• Norsk (Norwegian)
• English (English)

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