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Meaning of literature
There is no single definition of that suits the meaning of literature. As a result, there have been various attempts to define the term literature. Some of these attempts are;
Literature is a work of art that uses the language creatively to portray the message to the intended audience.
Literature is a work of art that uses the language creatively to express human realities to the society.
Literature is an imaginative work of art that uses language to reflect social realities.
Therefore, the definition of literature should include some important terms as follows; “Literature is an imaginative work of art that uses language creatively and imaginatively to portray social realities (society)”.
Key terms/concepts used in literature
The definition of literature is incomplete unless it involves these concepts;
Art – refers to the way of doing things. It includes creativity, decoration, beauty, painting, coloring, threading, beautification, embroidery. It is creativity that comprises the use of attention of individuals. Art is divided into two (2) types which are;
Performing art: it is an art that uses movement of bodies and voices to convey a patristic expression. Performing art includes dance, music and acting.
Fine art: it’s an art that are created for aesthetic or intellectual purpose. It includes furniture making, painting, sculpturing, drawing, pottery etc.
Language – is the system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for interaction and communication, exchanging and sharing of ideas. Language is so an important tool in communication in delivering the intended message. No literature can exist without a language.
Creativity/imaginative – it’s a situation of applying skills, decoration, painting, designing an object and making it unique from others.
Society –it is the people, folk or inhabitants of a certain area or location, who make up the society.
Artist – is a person who deals with art, dancing, drawing, painting and performing. An artist can be an orator, performer, dramatist, novelist or a painter.
Meaning, Functions And Importance of Literature
WHY LITERATURE IS AN ART?
Literature is said to be an art due to the following point;
1. Language use
The language used in literature is different from the language of everyday use. Literature uses figures of speech, and words are assigned an extra meaning than what they ordinarily imply. Some words carry literal meaning and others have symbolic meaning. Therefore, you need to dig a bit deeper before you settle and say this is what it means.
2. Character and characterization
Literature uses real people or other characters that represent real people in the outside world. Inanimate beings maybe personified in a way that they represent human qualities and act accordingly. This adds artistic effect to the literary work.
3. Choice and presentation of incidences
Literature is not just a collection of facts and stories to be reported. Incidents in literature are presented in artistic way that makes the audiences think that they are actually happening. There is the use of skillful narrative techniques like point of view, flashback, foreshadowing, suspense etc all these help the reader to visualize the events as though they are just unfolding before their eyes.
4. Selection of setting
Writers select a setting that goes together with the content of their works. For example, some issues like poverty, ignorance, classes, misuse of power etc are common in African context.
5. Selection of title
Literary works like plays, novels and poems have tile that goes together with the targeted message. For example, The Trials of Brother Jero linked the title with the content presented by using the main character Brother Jero.
6. Literature is imaginative and symbolic in nature
The language used in literature is usually imaginative. Therefore, literature just uses language imaginatively represented social realities.
FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
Since literature does not develop from a vacuum, but from the society in which it emanates, it has got different roles to play in the society. The following are some of the most important roles of literature in the society;
1. Literature educates people in the society.
Literary works are used to impart knowledge to the members of the society. It creates awareness on different social- political and economic matters taking place in the society.
It educates the young people on how they are expected to behave in accordance with the demands of their societies and the roles they are required to fulfill.
2. Literature expresses people’s culture.
Since literature develops from the society, it automatically expresses the culture of its people. All cultural aspects like traditions, beliefs, customs, norms etc are expressed so that the society may cherish the good ones and carry them over to the next generations and modify or discard the outdated ones.
3. Literature is used to entertain people
Most literary works appeal to emotions. By reading, listening and watching literary works we get entertained. Poems and dramas create an enjoyment to the audience different from one we get when we are eating foods. Literary enjoyment is called aesthetic pleasure; for example, comedies and melodrama.
4. Literature is used to influence people in the society.
More often than not people who are interested in watching, listening and reading literary works are tempted to act like those characters in the respective literary work. During the struggle for independence for example, literary works were used to instill revolutionary ideas to the oppressed to take up arms against the oppressor. Consider the poem Your Pain by Armando Guebuza.
5. Literature is used to develop language
By reading, listening and watching literary works, people improve their language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. People may also improve their vocabulary stock since they will not only come across a number of new words but also know how they are used in real context. Authors do also come with new words, phrases, idioms, figures of speech that help to develop the language.
6. Literature is used to liberate people mentally and physically.
Literary works present the message that helps to liberate the society mentally as a result they liberate themselves physically.
It concertizes the society about the existence of oppressive systems and suggests ways to get rid of those systems. Example, united we stand, divided we fall.
7. Literature is used to criticize the society.
Literature may be used to criticize the society in a sense that it points out the burning issues and requests the society to resolve them. More often than not literary artists points out the evils done by the traditional society.
Example, perpetuating the outdated customs like FGM, widow inheritance, forced marriage, etc and ask the society to discard them. They may also point the wrongs done by the ruling class and suggest the ways to get rid of these leaders.
IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING LITERATURE
i. Literature helps us grow both personally and intellectually. It opens doors for us. It stretches our mind, develops our imagination, increases our understanding and enlarges our power of sympathy. It helps us see beauty in the world around us.
ii. It links us with the cultural, philosophical and religious world of which we are a part.
iii. It enables us to recognize human dreams and struggles in different places and times.
iv. It makes us human. Literature excises our emotions through interest, concern, sympathy, tension, excitement, regret, fear, laughter and hope.
v. It identifies the society.
vi. It broadens people’s thinking.
vii. It preserves and transmits people’s culture.
viii. It unites people.
ix. It encourages people.
v. It creates employment to people.
CONTEXT IN WHICH LITERATURE IS APPLIED IN THE SOCIETY
Context is a situation in which something happens and that helps you to understand it. It is also known as environment or circumstance or background. There are different contexts in our societies in which literature is applied. These environments include the following;
1. Education context
Literature is used in schools, colleges and universities as one of the field of study. Through studying literature, we get professional or experts like analyst, novelist, playwrights, poet or poetess, teachers, authors, and professors of literature.
Musicians are also experts of literature. They use their knowledge to entertain and educate the member of the society through their songs.
2. Religious context
In different religious dominations, literature is a part and parcel of their worship. The church choirs apply the knowledge of literature to compose songs, practice and sing them. The way they sing, praise and worshiping songs as well as hymns and lyric songs employs literary techniques.
The language used at churches is characterized by poetic language for example in the Holy Bible there are books such as the book of proverbs and psalm. Also, the dramatization of biblical events such as of Noah is the work of literature.
3. Economic context
From the history of man literature has been used for different purpose. Thus, literature cannot be isolated with the origin of man through labor process associated with the making and using tools. Human beings had to use language to communicate different issues related to labor differentiation.
Primarily, literature was in oral forms such as songs (labor songs), myths, fork tales aimed at warning, encouraging hardworking, criticizing evil and maintaining social values or people composed different songs that accompanied them during their economic activities and after it. Example of songs/poems includes The Lazy Man by Yoruba.
4. Political context
Literature plays a big role in political activities. From the history of political struggle for independence, it has been observed that political leaders and other members used literature as a tool of communication. They composed different songs to mobilize people to unite and struggle for freedom.
For example, the poem of Your Pain was meant to help people of Mozambique to have self-awareness on the impact of colonialism. This song inspired and motivated them to unite hence struggle for their freedom. Literature is applied during political campaign to influence people to vote for a particular political party like CCM or CHADEMA.
5. Marriage context
Literature is also applied during marriage ceremony whereby different songs are sung for enjoyment, warning and educating the couples. For example, wedding songs are mainly sung by the relative of the bride to show appreciation for the ceremony and for the successful marriage.
6. Funeral context
Literature is applied through its works such as songs, proverbs, poems to console the relatives and different friends of the diseased person. In Hehe tribe men cry in poetic form by naming the names of their relatives who passed long time ago. They call it Kuyeyela.
The songs sung during the funeral are called dirges. Dirges are songs sung or performed at funeral or at memorial services whereby the singers mourn the dead person through the song. They convey deep feeling and sadness.
7. Social context
In this context, literature applied according to the purpose of the social gathering. Literary works such as songs, comedies, idioms, proverbs and short stories are used or performed to educate, criticize, warn and entertain people. The aim is to make a
person reforms and behave in a socially acceptable way. Comedy performed to entertain people.
8. Family context
Literature applied in family level whereby parents, guardians, adults, neighbors and youth use literary works to communicate their emotions and feelings in different ways. Members of the family such as elders or adults as well as youth narrate different stories such as fable, anecdote, and fork tale and sing different songs like childbirth and child naming songs, lullabies to educate, entertain and warn the young generation.
