Companion to Literature / What is Literature ?

    The term literature derives its original meaning from Latin word that means to convey a message with the blend of pleasure. It carries a long history, which has its root with the beginning of human civilizations. Even in the very ancient time when people were in hunting and gathering age they use to express their suppressed feeling through cave painting, wood caving and explaining them in details, as the time passed by it was nourished by the knowledge and flourished it further. Gradually with the invention of printing press the oral form was presented in the form of writing. Fundamentally literature is a branch of art that aims to represent everyday social phenomena with in an imaginary word created by authors. Literature lacks a mechanical definitions it differs from generation to generation, one individual to another, respectively. Despite the great advancement of the world literature has been an essential as breathing in human life. In general literature is the manifestation of suppressed human desires.

    Despite the variations in the opinion of critics, they commonly accept it as a part of art that represent everyday human reality. Art in broad refers to the literature, music, painting, sculptures, dance and so on. So far as literature is concern it has been closely related associated with multiple disciplines. Conventionally there are four different traditional form of art; they are poetry, prose, drama, fiction and essay. The root of these four forms of literature springs from human passion and desire. Some tend to express their ideas through poetry, others through drama essay fiction and likewise. Literature differs from other social science like history and mathematics. Science basically deals with experiment and analysis requires proofs to convey some meaning. Similarly history is the record of fact believed to have based on truth. Similarly social science is always specific, detailed, analytical, and nothing to do with passions and feelings. Literature is based on three basic characteristics that distinguish it from other sciences.
1 .IMAGINATIVE-
     Literature as a form of art is based on an individual imagination, they describe events and circumstances to persuade the readers and invite us to get in to their world. It does not necessarily mean that literature has nothing to do with reality. It presents reality in a fictional way with the view to delight and instruct its readers. It is imaginative because it requires more colors which are fulfill through the use of figures of speeches like simile, metaphor, symbol, allegory, etc.
2. IMITATIVE-
     Infact literature is the representative art that aims to imitate upon everyday phenomena that art quite natural, in his own way. Every literature has its close relationship with society, economics, politics, culture, religion and so on. Literature cannot escape away from life, nature, religion, death, money, sex and so on.
3. PERSUASIVE-
     The fundamental aim of literature is to provide pleasure through persuasive technique. When a writer writes literature, his basic object is to move the heart of the readers. Until and unless a writer is failed to persuade the readers there is no more existence of him or her, therefore the very existence of writer is based on his or her skill of motivation. Usually authors in literature use various figures of speeches to persuade the readers. Literature has its multiple dimensions that inevitably occur in every aspect of scholarship. Despite its multi disciplinary approaches it is confined to provide pleasure cum (as well as) moral lessons as the proper guideline of humanity. Every form of literature is equally imaginative and persuasive in equal degree. Traditionally literature has following bases.
I. Plot & Character- Every form of literature comprises a plot and a good set of character to be performed or narrated. The events situations and circumstances. By plot we mean a logical sequence of events collected haphazardly. Multiple events and situations are woven into the same garland. By characters we mean a certain set of human being who is assigned to carryout the actions as determined by the author. Truly speaking the plot is a sole and the character is like that of bone and flesh. Therefore whether in poetry, or in drama, essay, or in fiction we find a certain plot and character to make it live.
II. Unity and Coherence: In order to make plot and characters move convincing a work of literature should have unity and coherence. By unity we mean the well-organized events in the story otherwise literature fails to cease pleasure. By coherence we mean the logical pattern of events that give a certain didactic aspect. The series of action and behaviors should look natural and inevitable. Therefore unity and coherence is a must in every form of literature.
III. Language- Language in a sense is a backbone of every forms of literature. As the writer expresses his thoughts and feelings through words. Similarly the language the work of literature is also important. A writer should choose his language carefully. It should carry suggestion that helps us to enjoy the sense of the story. Thus words selected to fit the action and characters.
IV. Question of fact and Question of interpretation: A work of literature should also be aware of question of fact and questions of interpretation. The questions of fact deals with the information provided by the writer about some events, places, persons and things. But why he made those choices should be dealt by the question of interpretation. These questions deal with the artistic vision and wit, the theme, pattern, message and meaning.
V. Message and Meaning: Multiple disputes are created amid the critics, writers and readers about the message and meaning to be universal aspect of literature. The idea defers from are school of literature to another as the writer are in the subject. Some critics do believe that a piece of literature contents some dyadic approach and others take some moral aspect, which the writer intends to convey their readers or audiences.
VI. Theme and Pattern: Theme and pattern are related with all literature. All the unified and complete works of literature content some pattern according to which the actions and characters fit together. Didactic tales present actions and characters in terms of a moral order, with patterns of good and evil temptation and response. A romantic poem appeals merely emotional responses. There are many types of patterns of actions, characterization, language, or metaphor with in a single work. The same pattern of a literature gives us way to find out theme.