Fearing or Loving Literature?

Eat-and-be-full-reading is the most satisfying joy in literacy.  Many people hear the word “literature” and cringe.  I think the cringe may come from the fear of boredom and blandness.  I can remember school days in the past filled with English and literature teachers who should have never taught such a subject and caused damage to the wonderment of word-hungry students.  Literature reflects a deeper meaning of the written word that touches the heart and mind powerfully.  To me, literature engages the emotions of the reader from the response to visualization within ones imagination.  Literature does differ from other forms of writing, in that it truly touches the soul in one way or another, in fact some literature pieces can literally choke me up by moving my imagination so strongly.  

A literary critic is one who can define particular pieces of literature from ordinary writing by the different genres that captivate various styles of satire.  Wayne Clugston states in his book, Journey Into Literature, that the study of literature can be introduced “by identifying two ideas that every reader must understand: literature exists in the imaginary world of its creator, and it is accessible (experienced) through intentional imaginary connection to the creator's world” (2010).  No matter the type of critique used in defining a literature piece, usually there is always an artistic quality to the work written, whether it is a play, poem or story.  Even when a literary subject is ugly or painful, literature is most definitely beautiful and affects the reader movingly on a universal level.

I read constantly and on a daily basis for both work and personally.  I especially enjoy pleasure reading, and I do underline, take notes, and even mark in books I most love.  I am so fond of the smell of books and am not afraid of causing signs of wear, in that I sometimes may fold over a corner of a page to mark my place, a bad habit I am working on omitting for the use of a bookmark.  I never thought I would love my Kindle so much because I enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, but I do.  My reading has actually increased with the ease of downloading books to my Kindle and the organization abilities it has to keep track of my notes and underlining.  

I am keen on all types of novels and reading subjects, including literature.  Writing styles that especially draw me are those created by writers who can pull a reader into a story by way of causing a reader to take on the skin of the character.  This is true literature. 

A short story I especially enjoyed and recommend for those fearful of literature is written by Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), who was an American author of short stories and novels.  According to Wikipedia, she is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century.  Sample one of her short stories, “The Story of an Hour,” here: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/StorHour.shtml.  (It will cost you nothing but your time to engage in some enjoyable critical thinking and pull you into the emotions of the character, Mrs. Mallard.) 

~Wendy


Reference

Clugston, R.W.  Journey Into Literature (2010).  
Kate Chopin, Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Chopin.