Literature mirrors any age, depicting an accurate picture of life and society. It is one the most significant sources of information that are transformed from one age to another. Moreover, it also portrays the actual human conditions and their sufferings through written scripts. On the other hand, it reforms human life by making one aware of his capabilities and capacities. Literature makes a man ponder about his being and the people around him. It makes him seek himself within himself and introduces him to the world he is dwelling in.
A man witnesses various changes in the ages he lives. In the respective, a writer depicts his age; he shows society’s positive and negative sides and comes up with possible solutions to the problems. Man has been able to know and analyze all the past events due to literature. It corrects serious faults in man’s personality and makes him realize the importance of nature in his life.
John Keats states that Nature is faultless and one should seek the truth in Nature. For Keats, Nature has been a source of relief; he used it to escape his sufferings.
Most importantly, nature has played a pivotal role in bringing the best works of literature. Nature has been a great source of inspiration for various writers such as John Keats and Wordsworth. Nature has helped them in their poetic processes, and it has helped them to seek relief from it. Most Romantic poets had a deep connection with nature, as Keats says in his Ode to Grecian Urn, “Beauty is truth, truth (is) beauty.” He explicitly states that nature is faultless and that one should seek the truth in nature. Nature, for Keats, has been a source of relief; he used it to escape his sufferings.
Furthermore, literature plays a vital role in shaping a person’s thoughts and personality. Literature makes him optimistic and teaches him not to give up on things or his dreams. As Milton writes in his epic, “Paradises Lost,” “Thou the field be lost, all is not lost.” Literature motivates a person in the shape of various stories or poems. The above lines make a person optimistic about achieving his goals. If he fails, he should continue, as there is a way and a chance.
Literature makes a man aware of his strengths and weakness and explores his natural capabilities. For instance, despite suffering from Tuberculosis, Keats wrote the greatest ones we have in literature. Literature helped him turn his weaknesses into strengths. The quest for knowing more and writing more made him live longer.
Literature teaches a man various lessons that are only possible to learn after they occur. For instance, Dr. Faustus, a play by Christopher Marlow, shows that man often leads to downfall due to his own mistakes, as Doctor Faustus is ready to do anything to become powerful. However, his tragic death is caused by his own decisions. Even though he regrets his decision in the end, he cannot do anything to save himself from death.
“Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth”
Picasso
Every author portrayed his age through his writings, such as the characters in Chaucer’s, The Prologue to Canterbury Tales, show that in the fourteenth-century church was the most vital institution, and the church and its clergies controlled everything. Most of his characters belong to the church, and he satirizes them. He depicts them as the most corrupt people of his age. He shows that all the authority belonged to the church. In addition, Francis Bacon, in his essay, Essay of Great Place, mentions the vices of authority and how the authorities misuse their powers and disregard the people who are lower than him. He shows the behavior of the bosses to their employees. Jane Austen is another novelist and a real-life social critic; she portrayed the life of elite women and their most practiced activities. Such as they were boastful about their wealth and achievements, they were busy discussing people, and mostly the young girls were discussing marriages. Her works like Emma and Pride and Prejudice portray the absurdities of Elite women. There is no doubt that it is literature that makes one able to analyze various ages and the condition and behavior of people.
To sum up, literature is essential in our lives and human evolution. It has the strength to shape people\’s lives and societies. Also, it makes a man realize the importance of the world in his life. Adding more, it is a voice to the voiceless and a healer to its admirers. If we need better societies, we need to promote the literature. Human beings should learn from the most outstanding work of literature and seek the truth. As Picasso says, “Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”
About the Author:
Noor Shah Saleem
Contributor at SIT Ink & InsightNoor Shah Saleem is a SIT alumnus and a former member staff. He is a graduate from the University of Balochistan in English Literature. He keeps an interest in literature and photography.