Literature

Literature is decribed as the art of written material. The word comes from the latin meaning 'littera'. Generally thinking, written materilas are accepted as literature however there are also spoken literature materials. I mean the verbal part is more than the spoken part of language. Spoken part is not accepted as a prototype for it. Some thinkers separete the literature as fiction and non fiction. The epic of Gılgamesh is one the earliest literal works. Main ideas discussed in them are heroism, eternal life, afterlife, friendship. Not so much different when we compare with today's literature. We can accept drama, novels, plays, poetry as literal items. Bible and Old Greek writings are the classic ones which are also used as referance books. Imaginative writing such as comic books, computer game sereis are excluded from literature.

One important property of literature is its relation with history. It should have a backround formed by a rich past of knowledge. Language used in it has metaphors, alleterations, deep meaning, elegant syntax. It is written intentionally by the author and it is so open to interpret and criticize. Here, the author's message is interpreted socially, mythologically and pyschologically. Literary crticism is a way for evaluating the text. There are some ways for it such a looking it from the readers' or writers' points of views. Text were separated into groups as readerly and writerly text. The person who is reading the text will easily pruduce a new cticism of the text if he/she has a literal backround.

To sum up, literature is a product of verbal and spoken knowledge that keeps some properties which make it valuable. It is again the human being who look into it and make a 'comment' of it.


Turgay Urgur