Literary canon means a set of,criterias that decide which pieces of literature are of value. The problem is, that these criterias undergo changes. They change with the course of time, they differ from one era to another. They are influenced by history and socio- cultural events. So, consequently, the canon is determined by whatever is going on in the world of outside. It is basicly the reader- audience's taste, it's what they want to hear, read, about whatever is on their minds.
             The writer, poet is supposed to express whatever is going on in the world, whatever is on people's minds. So, both canon and literature are dependent upon the contemporary outside reality and are ultimatly about what an author has to say about the reality and what the audience wants to hear or has to hear about that reality.
             As I said, the literary canon is closely connected to history. So, it is only natural that people living in different eras, are preoccupied by different problems. To proove this statement, let's examine some of the most important periods in the history of civilization.
             First there was the Rennaissance with it's goals to set people free from their medieval strains through the ressurection of the anthic art. They strove for a complete balance between the self, God and nature. Some of the most famous writers of the period are names like Shakespeare, Chaucer, Boccacio and Petrarch.
             The Rennaissance was followed by the Baroque, which is basicly about the restoration of Catholicism. This period is strongly marked by monumental, overornated pieces of art. The canon of the time has recognized Tasso and Milton (among others) as being of value.
             The Baroque in it's turn, was followed by the Enlightenment and it's aim was to restore freedom and dignity to the human kind through education. Their most famous writers are Goethe, Schiller, Rousseau, Voltaire etc.
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