Short Response- What is Literature?

The Bedford Compact Introduction to Literature 10th edition notes that “[l]iterature does not lend itself to a single tidy definition because the making of it over the centuries has been as complex, unwieldy, and natural as life itself” (1). Expectations for literature, like values and meaning, are shifting rather than fixed, and are influenced by numerous factors. Our response to a text comes in part through our own definition of, and expectations for, literature. Bedford explains that, although definitions can be limiting, “it is useful for our purposes to describe literature as a fiction consisting of carefully arranged words designed to stir the imagination” (2).
In this short response, you will examine your own expectations and definition. What do you expect from literature? What does a text have to contain for you to consider it literature? It may help to identify what you do not consider literature in order to more clearly explain your definition. While your response should not merely consist of your answers, it may also be beneficial to consider the following questions:
Is literature everything that has been written, from ancient prayers to graffiti?
Does it include songs and stories that were not written down until many years after they were recited?
Does literature include the television scripts for Modern Family as well as Shakespeare’s King Lear?
Is literature only writing that has permanent value and continues to move people?
Must literature be true or beautiful or moral?
Should it be socially useful?
There is no correct definition for literature; no right or wrong answer to the question “What is literature?” As such, you will be graded not on the definition itself, but on the clarity, thoughtfulness, and thoroughness with which you present your ideas. The goal of this response is not to test your knowledge, but to get you thinking critically about your own assumptions and expectations as we begin to examine different texts in this course. Later in the course, we will come back to these initial response papers to examine ways in which your thoughts change.
In your essay, you will need to provide and explain your definition for literature, and so you will need to discuss what expectations you have for a text. Why are your expectations important to defining literature? Because your definition and expectations were not created out of thin air, you will also need to address where you believe they came from. Was your definition influenced by a former teacher? Are your expectations a result of your reading experience as a child? In order to better illustrate your definition, you will need to select a text and explain why you feel that title is a strong example of what you consider literature. While you do not need a Works Cited page for this response, you will need to provide both title and author of the text you choose.

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