Writing about Literature - Essay Example

Writing about Literature Writing about Literature What compels a to write on literature? Giving form to something abstract (such as an idea, feeling, experience and/or speculation) is an innate characteristic of human beings (Clugston, 2010). Human mind is wired in such a way that an imaginary world exists in every one’s cognition. Literature is a person’s attempt to explore that world and connect it with the physical world. Since ancient times, humans have been compelled towards story-telling, creating myths, sharing experiences, addressing social issues and exploring human emotions.

Literature can be termed as the evolved form of story-telling, which humans have always been interested in. How does it benefit us personally and/or professionally?It allows exploration of diverse innate capabilities of an individual such as to sympathize, investigate, laugh, learn/absorb and wonder (Clugston, 2010). It lets a person reflect on the importance of life’s common human experiences by highlighting common place practices and recognizing shared human interests and emotions. It helps in linking feeling to thinking and safeguarding a vision of the ideal, thus, enabling a connection between intellect and imagination (Clugston, 2010).

It restores the past and serves as compendium of history since writers usually incorporate the traditions, norms, societal conditions and complexities of their society in their writings (Clugston, 2010). This helps future generations to realize the kind of situations that existed. For instance, war time literature informs modern-day readers about the negativities of war and this is why wars are avoided now. Most importantly, it simulates human imagination, since writers can easily let readers see things clearly by using a variety of visual elements such as factual descriptions, exquisite details, expressions and word pics.

What kind of writing and thinking skills that this course aims to develop?This course will develop the skills of understanding human nature and emotions, addressing the innate urge to seek ideals and recognizing the most effective way of sharing personal experiences and impressions with the world. It can develop the skill of making a fair and worthy comparison between the real and imaginative world. It will encourage the ability of using critically important elements like metaphor, simile and use of persona in order to formulate an effective piece of literature (Clugston, 2010).

Literature writers aim to help the reader create an intentional imaginative connection with the writer’s world, which can only be achieved through these elements. It will help in differentiating between the writing styles of various literary geniuses. Lastly, it will help in exploring the indispensable but mysterious relation between human thought and human emotion.ReferencesClugston, R. (2010). Journey into Literature (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgeport Education.