LITERATURE OF KNOWLEDGE LITERATURE OF POWER
INTRODUCTION:
In his famous book ‘An Introduction to the Study of Literature’, W. H. Hudson has discussed term ‘LITERATURE’ in detail. He has also discussed various definitions, types, elements and functions of literature.
The term ’LITERATURE’ comes from the Latin word “LITTERA” which means “a letter of the alphabet”. Hence, the word “LITERATURE” means “Something which is written in alphabets”.
TWO TYPES OF LITERATURE:
Literature has been written since time immemorial. Literature is written in almost every language. It is generally believed that “Everything written is called literature”. In this way, we may say that ‘time-tables’, ‘medical reports’, ‘calendars’, ‘dictionaries’, ‘newspapers’, ‘magazines’ – all are literatures. But the question remains, “Are we supposed to study all these as the students of literature?” The probable answer is given by De Quincey who is an outstanding critic of English literature. He has divided literature into two broad categories. According to him, there are two types of literature.
LITERATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
LITERATURE OF POWER
LITERATURE OF KNOWLEDGE:
The literature which gives us knowledge or information about any particular field or subject is called literature of knowledge. This means that dictionaries, magazines, calendars etc. are literature of knowledge. This type of literature is not supposed to be studied by the students of literature.
LITERATURE OF POWER:
The literature which gives us some power, energy or the fuel to live our life is known as the literature of power. This types of literature includes all works of art such as ‘Old Man and the Sea’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Pygmalion’ etc. It is called literature of power because it has the power to bring deep impact on human life and society. It can change the life of the person; can change the whole society or sometimes the whole nation. True literature of power can bring peace and prosperity in the society. It makes man a better human being. It frees us from ignorance and evils and leads us towards the world of happiness. In Sanskrit, it is rightly said:
“सा विद्या या विमुक्तये”
(This is the knowledge which makes us free.)
“तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय”
(From darkness of ignorance to the world of enlightenment)
Click to watch a video on Style.
No comments:
Post a Comment