ESSENCE AND

SIGNIFICANCE OF
LITERATURE
1. Literature (origin of term
litera w/c means letters)
deals with ideas, thoughts
and emotions of man – thus
it can be said the literature is
the story of man.
(Baritugo, et al. 2004)
2. Literature in its
broadest sense, is
everything that has
never been written.
3. The best way to
understand human nature
fully and to know a nation
completely is to study
literature.
(Garcia, et al. 1993)
4. Through literature, we learn
the innermost feelings and
thoughts of people – the most
real; part of themselves, thus we
gain an understanding not only
of others, but more importantly,
of ourselves and of life itself.
(Garcia, et al. 1993)
5. Literature offer us an
experience in which we
should participate as we
read and test what we
read by our own
experience.
6. Literature does not
yield much unless we
bring something of
ourselves to it.
7. Literature is a faithful
production of life… in a
sense it is a product
and a commentary on
life process.
8. Literature
illuminates life.
9. Literature is our life’s
story including its
struggles, ideas, failures,
sacrifices and happiness.
(Ang,2006)
10. Literature appeal’s to man’s higher
nature and its needs – emotional,
spiritual, intellectual and creative. Like
all other forms of art, literature
entertains and gives pleasure; it fries
the imagination and arouses noble
emotions and it enriches man by
enabling him to reflect on life and by
filing him with new ideas. (Garcia, et al.
1993)
11. Literature is one of the seven
arts ( i.e., music, dance,
painting,sculpture,theathre and
architecture) and as such,
literature is a creative product of
a creative work the result of
which is form and beauty.
( Nuggets, 2004)
 12. Why do people read
literature?
For information, for
amusement for higher and
keener pleasure, for cultural
upliftment and for discovery
of broader dimensions in life.
( Nuggets, 2004)
THANK YOU!