The Importance of Literature in Today
How often has one heard the question mostly posed by current students, Why must I know and take courses in literature? The question itself is not too surprising because many students do not feel they need any of the education they are getting to continue their life. What is surprising is how the answer to this question is not near as obvious to them as the thought of asking it in the first place. The question of why literature matters can be answered in so many different ways and examples, but the answers are too often wasted by those of a cynical mindset. The literature of today's world holds such great historical, intellectual, and societal importance that within the remaining text, as one student to another, I will explain why it may be important and should matter greatly to them. One key importance literature holds for its readers is a reflection of our history. Books and other literary works, set in certain time periods, often refer to the events, acceptances, and understandings of its particular era. As stated in the poem The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake, "And my father sold me while yet my tongue could scarcely cry...so your chimneys I sweep, a
There are so many different things that can be learned, felt, and shared by the reading of just a single book. Just look at the poem Dear Michael, Love Pam by Michael Lohre (10), being a letter from the speaker to her brother, most anyone can relate to and develop feelings and views about the topics discussed. Writings from the past can also teach about our own English language. I leave you with a quote from the writer Robertson Davies, "We all have slumbering realms of sensibility which can be coaxed into wakefulness by the literary works we encounter. One final and possibly most logical importance of literature is the level of sophistication that comes with it. And by came an Angel who had a bright key, and he opened the coffins and set them all free. How could one deny that these lines from The Chimney Sweeper do not invoke very strong emotions of sympathy for the children and how they view the chimneys they sweep as their coffins. The study of literature is the place wherein the primary matters of concern are particulars of the human race, individual human time, human feeling, and human response. "Were all of them locked up in coffins of black. The reading of literature is a world wide act which in turn means that as long as one can cross the barriers of language they can also hold meaningful conversations with fellow countrymen. Often enough people begin to feel pressure to read these pieces of literature simply to stay in the conversation and while it may not be the best reason for people to begin reading it can spark the interest and become a lifelong habit. Within some of the dated works we read one can see the phases of change in our language from its origin to present day.
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Acceptance Essays
