Literature
Literature refers to the entire body of the literary writings or productions based on a given subject or concerning a distinct branch of the science of knowledge of a country or given period. According to Smith (24), literature can also be defined as a collective body of the literary productions that embrace complete results of fancy and knowledge mostly preserved in writing. Other definitions consider prose as a profession, occupation, or enterprise of performing a literary job. Some scholars believe literature to be a class of papers that is distinguished for expression or beauty of styles as an essay, history, or poetry. For example, in the United States, English literature acts as the significantly visible majors in any university. Literature in the United States is a rewarding and vast zone of studies for national and international students. However, the novel is considered a broader term that incorporates nearly everything that people read, hears, and sees. Therefore, in his study Matravers (174) outline that for easy analysis and understanding, literature has different categories or genres (Genres of writing) that are commonly being taught in classrooms. But during ancient Greece, literature was grouped into two core categories commonly comedy and tragedy. However, there is a significant list of several genres and types of writing.
Classification of Literature
Despite the broader index, classification of literature has been narrowed to five few essential groups. The five core genres of literature that students must be familiar with include poetry which is frequently considered the fundamental type of work. According to Tamir et al. (217), a poem is put down in writings despite being times performed. Other forms of poetry as literature include counting syllable, rhymes, and songs with different or common patterns. Some poetry such as prose always crosses the genre lines. Second, prose form that refers to any written texts that are not poetry. In literature, the most commonly used type of prose includes the short tales and novels. Other minor prose comprises non-fiction, journals, and diaries. Drama is a form of literature that is performed and not read. Commonly taught drama in classrooms are those written by a bard. For example, Shakespeare's plays are challenging and rewarding. Drama and poetry fall under fiction category. However, non-fiction as a significant type includes several various sub-genres. The non-fiction literature such as factual, scientific papers and personal essays are creative.
Goals of Reading Literature
The crucial role of non-fiction literature is passing on information and educating readers about various facts, issues, or ideas. People read literature for different reasons. However, the essay outlines only four primary goals. These include saving time for most students. According to Tamir et al. (218), literature helps in accessing and experiencing various ranges of emotions and critical events that take countless lifetimes to experience. Second, people read prose to become nicer since it provides the readers to view things from another person's point of view that serves as the best way of developing empathy for other people. Individuals engage in reading literature to cure them of loneliness since through books and articles most writers help readers to reflect on whom they are. In preventing loneliness, poetry acts as a source of entertainment for many readers. As a result, literature makes people become active and engage in other constructive reading. Most significantly a novel makes and individual wiser through experience and skills in dealing with different situations and people. Moreover, text enables a person to have a base of skills on decision making. Furthermore, in his study Matravers (172) outline that most students engage in reading and studying literature for them to become wiser with advanced knowledge. The essay considers reading a novel to become more knowledgeable as the most significant reason for being wiser encompasses more skills, experience, and ability to make decisions.
Works cited
Matravers, Derek. "What Difference (If Any) Is There Between Reading as Fiction and Reading as Non-fiction?." Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2016. 169-184.
Samur, Dalya, Mattie Tops, and Sander L. Koole. "Does a single session of reading literary fiction prime enhanced mentalising performance? Four replication experiments of Kidd and Castano (2013)." Cognition and Emotion (2017): 1-15.
Smith, G. Stevenson. "The accountant: a character in literature." Meditari Accountancy Research 25.1 (2017): 2-27.
Tamir, Diana I., et al. "Reading fiction and reading minds: the role of simulation in the default network." Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 11.2 (2015): 215-224.
