A Newer World of Literature

Literature for me has been not only for enjoyment but it is the livelihood I have to depend on. Once we start seeing this anew, we realise that studying it is not just something to tax the brain, it is something to give us a new feeling of exaltation of the self. Longinus, the great Literary critic makes us aware of the reason for Literature's being: to bring us to the very mind of God. Through writing, I have become aware of the feelings I can sometimes have and the weaknesses that are available for me as a person.

This to me is the world that Literature puts me in. When Plato said all Literature scholars should be removed form the republic, he saw the subversive nature of all Literature that he as a human being could at not time stand. Maybe, he envisaged a world where people would be so much engrossed with reading that they would forget their very own existance. This has been the most trying time. I have to teach something and I have to think about its impact on those that I teach. Teaching literature is a world that sometimes I get scared of getting into because I know it will not be easy when it comes to political books. But there is a syllabus to follow and a teacher supposed to teach according to it.

What am I saying here? When we read, we are given a new world of experience. When I teach, I get a better perception of what I am daling with. It has never been easy for me to understand what all I deal with means. However, I understand that I create a new world for the young ones I teach. In so doing, I become a teller not of tales but of a new world to expect. This is the strongest attribute of any literary text for me. I love it because it builds a world that I can always look forward to. I share my own experiences with my students and let them tell me what they think. I tell them about the beauty and ugliness of life. I build for them a world of possibilities and tell them to decide a deatiny that fits tham. In all I reate a world of possibilities from which they can choose and be willing to make the most of their lives. That to me is the new world of Literature. I do not know about you, but for me, it is a better world, espcially when the news only brings terrible stories.

So go ahead. Read a text that will bring life to you. Give your life a new meaning. And most of all, live and brathe the literary heritage of your people. It made sense to me. I hope it does for you too.