DEFINITION OF LITERATURE
DEFI NI TI ON OF LI TERATURE
Moody says that the existence of L originates from our
inborn love of telling a story, of arranging w ords in
pleasing patterns, of expressing in w ords some special
aspect of our human experience.
L: fictitious, verbal, full of pleasure, about human life
Robert Frost: L is a performance in w ords
Dandier & Johnson: L is a verbal art ( ?)
Barnet: L is anything w ritten. This definition is too broad
and too narrow as it includes books on mat h and
excludes oral L.
L is a sort of make believe, it has the sense of fiction ( ?)
Eagleton: many w orks of art are based on facts.
He exemplifies that the 17 th century English Lit also
includes the essays of Francis Bacon, the sermons of
John Donne, and Bunyan’s spiritual autobiography.
L is something creative or imaginative. History, natural
sciences are uncreative & unimaginative ( ???)
L is the expression of beautiful thoughts & ideas in
beautiful language. - -- -- W hat is beautiful?
Horace ( in his book Ars Poetica) : The primary purpose
of L is dulce et utile or to give profit or delight = to mix
pleasure w ith useful precepts for life.
Damono: L is a cultural production w hich is in a certain
society & in a certain era regarded as L
DEFI NI TI ON OF LI TERATURE
Moody: t he exist ence of L or iginat es f r om our inbor n love of t elling a
st or y, of ar r anging wor ds in pleasing pat t er ns, of expr essing in wor ds
some special aspect of our human exper ience. He f ur t her says t hat
“t he wr it er of lit er at ur e is not t ied t o f act in quit e t he same way as
t he hist or ian, t he economist , or t he scient ist ”.
Rober t Fr ost : L is a per f or mance in wor ds
Danziger & J ohnson: L is a ver bal ar t .
Bar net : L is anyt hing wr it t en. L is a sor t of make believe.
Eaglet on: many wor ks of ar t ar e based on f act s.
He exemplif ies t hat t he 17 t h cent ur y English Lit also includes t he
essays of Fr ancis Bacon, t he ser mons of J ohn Donne, and Bunyan’s
spir it ual aut obiogr aphy.
L is somet hing cr eat ive or imaginat ive. Does it mean t hat hist or y,
nat ur al sciences ar e uncr eat ive & unimaginat ive?
L is anyt hing wr it t en which has t he power t o move t he r eader ’s hear t
or t o st ir his/ her emot ions.
L is t he expr ession of beaut if ul t hought s & ideas in beaut if ul language.
Hor ace (in his book Ar s Poet ica): The pr imar y pur pose of L is dulce et
ut ile or t o give pr of it or delight = t o mix pleasur e wit h usef ul pr ecept s
f or lif e.
Damono: L is a cult ur al pr oduct ion which is in a cer t ain societ y & in a
cer t ain er a r egar ded as L.
Quest ions:
1. What ar e t he specif ic char act er ist ics of lit er at ur e accor ding t o t he
def init ions of lit er at ur e ment ioned above?
2. Which not ion is wor t h consider ing accor ding t o your own opinion?
Explain your answer s.
Moody says that the existence of L originates from our
inborn love of telling a story, of arranging w ords in
pleasing patterns, of expressing in w ords some special
aspect of our human experience.
L: fictitious, verbal, full of pleasure, about human life
Robert Frost: L is a performance in w ords
Dandier & Johnson: L is a verbal art ( ?)
Barnet: L is anything w ritten. This definition is too broad
and too narrow as it includes books on mat h and
excludes oral L.
L is a sort of make believe, it has the sense of fiction ( ?)
Eagleton: many w orks of art are based on facts.
He exemplifies that the 17 th century English Lit also
includes the essays of Francis Bacon, the sermons of
John Donne, and Bunyan’s spiritual autobiography.
L is something creative or imaginative. History, natural
sciences are uncreative & unimaginative ( ???)
L is the expression of beautiful thoughts & ideas in
beautiful language. - -- -- W hat is beautiful?
Horace ( in his book Ars Poetica) : The primary purpose
of L is dulce et utile or to give profit or delight = to mix
pleasure w ith useful precepts for life.
Damono: L is a cultural production w hich is in a certain
society & in a certain era regarded as L
DEFI NI TI ON OF LI TERATURE
Moody: t he exist ence of L or iginat es f r om our inbor n love of t elling a
st or y, of ar r anging wor ds in pleasing pat t er ns, of expr essing in wor ds
some special aspect of our human exper ience. He f ur t her says t hat
“t he wr it er of lit er at ur e is not t ied t o f act in quit e t he same way as
t he hist or ian, t he economist , or t he scient ist ”.
Rober t Fr ost : L is a per f or mance in wor ds
Danziger & J ohnson: L is a ver bal ar t .
Bar net : L is anyt hing wr it t en. L is a sor t of make believe.
Eaglet on: many wor ks of ar t ar e based on f act s.
He exemplif ies t hat t he 17 t h cent ur y English Lit also includes t he
essays of Fr ancis Bacon, t he ser mons of J ohn Donne, and Bunyan’s
spir it ual aut obiogr aphy.
L is somet hing cr eat ive or imaginat ive. Does it mean t hat hist or y,
nat ur al sciences ar e uncr eat ive & unimaginat ive?
L is anyt hing wr it t en which has t he power t o move t he r eader ’s hear t
or t o st ir his/ her emot ions.
L is t he expr ession of beaut if ul t hought s & ideas in beaut if ul language.
Hor ace (in his book Ar s Poet ica): The pr imar y pur pose of L is dulce et
ut ile or t o give pr of it or delight = t o mix pleasur e wit h usef ul pr ecept s
f or lif e.
Damono: L is a cult ur al pr oduct ion which is in a cer t ain societ y & in a
cer t ain er a r egar ded as L.
Quest ions:
1. What ar e t he specif ic char act er ist ics of lit er at ur e accor ding t o t he
def init ions of lit er at ur e ment ioned above?
2. Which not ion is wor t h consider ing accor ding t o your own opinion?
Explain your answer s.