Literature is derived from the Latin word "littera" and it translates to "knowledge of books" in English. Literature is a collection of literary works that have been passed down from generation to generation, either orally or in writing. It is classified into several categories such as epic (large poems), fables, fairytales, poetry, novel, prose, and so on. They are further subdivided into numerous categories linked to various nations, historical events, real occurrences, languages, cultural histories/tales, and so on.
Literature provides insight into the world's best work ever produced, from John Milton's Paradise Lost, Homer's Iliad, Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, through brilliant plays by William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, and many other renowned writers in the making.
They give you a vivid imagination of the human world and how they function. It provides the deep understanding required to look at individuals living on the distant reaches of the globe, their struggles, despair, delight, happiness, and much more.
Robert Louis Stevenson:
"The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean;
not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish."
To begin, Homer is one of the most prolific writers of literature. He produced many epic poems, the best famous of which being "The Iliad." He was a poet from Greece who wrote about heroes. Homer's two epic works have become global mythology's archetypal road maps. The theme of these epic poems is good versus evil. The majority of historical stories were built on this moral foundation. They were employed to teach people a moral lesson.
Moving on to the one of the greatest classical poets ever to exist in literature history is John Milton. He is regarded as the father of one of the greatest epic poems, "Paradise Lost. It was initially published in 1667, and studying it is still required for a literary degree today.
It tells the account of Adam and Eve, who were deceived by Satan into giving in to their urge to eat the forbidden fruit because Satan was exiled from heaven, he tempted God's new creation to succumb. Adam and Eve were then punished and asked to leave heaven to dwell on Earth. They were also shown the future and what will happen to future generations.
Milton used to write against political tyrants and about sin, faith and death “…...In his works on theology, he valued liberty of conscience, the paramount importance of Scripture as a guide in matters of faith, and religious toleration toward dissidents.” (Labriola, Britannica)
Moving on to William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of all time. He wrote about the presence, order, change, decision, and tragic hero, with whom the audience can sympathize and learn from the lesson being conveyed. Since it is not based on the traditional concept of hero, the concept of tragic hero is one of the major key factors that everyone discusses. The classic hero is one who is without flaws, whereas the tragic hero is one who has accomplished much yet is still flawed.
Filling paper after paper will not suffice to convey the major works of classical writers in sufficient language for everyone to understand. Their work is a legacy that should be respected, honored, read as much as possible, but it will never be adequate. We should learn a lot of things from it. Keep the legacy going and never let it perish.
References:
Biography.com Editors. “Homer.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 31 Mar. 2021, https://www.biography.com/writer/homer.
Labriola, Albert C.. "John Milton". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Dec. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Milton. Accessed 27 June 2022.
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