STELLA MARIS MTWARA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
(STEMMUCO)
(A Constitute College of St. Augustine University of
Tanzania)
ENGLISH LITERATURE
(TET05104) – 2016
SAJIDI D. KASKAZI - STE/ODPE/193166
Literature; refers to the imaginative
work of art that use a language to reflects social reality.
Important key terms in the definition of Literature
i.
Imagination: literature is said
to be an imaginative work of art because what we read is a creation of an arts.
It is the result of someone’s imagination.
ii.
Art: Literature is said
to be a work of art because it involve creativity in presentation. The art may
use creative characters and incidence to his/her work succeeded.
iii.
Language: is another important term in the definition
of literature. There is creative way of using language through figures of speech
to make it different from other work of writing. Literature and Language are in
separable.
iv.
Social reality: Literature does not
develop into vacuum, it tells things that are happen in our society that can
either politically, socially and economically.
THE RULES OR FUNCTION OF LITERATUER
i.
Literature educates
people about the society.
This becomes possible when people read work of arts;
they increase the knowledge about various things.
Example; culture issues of particular society like
taboos, tradition dance, believes etc.
ii.
Literature provides
entertainments.
Through drama performed on the stage, songs and oral
literary devices such as proverbs, and idioms in a text can makes somebody enjoyed.
iii.
Literature creates
Awareness.
This occurs in some books which have revolutionary to
fight against injustices exists in a given society.
Example; the book of Dedan Kemath- this helps to be in
awareness.
iv.
Literature improves
Languages.
By reading literary work people improves their
vocabulary. They also get listening skills by listen Literary works.
Example; ~the author from South Africa you may get Southern
English
~the author from Kenya you may get Kenyan
English
~he author from Nigeria you get also
Nigerian English
v.
Literature
criticises society.
They playwright, novelist and poet can reveal the
wrong things done by people in a particular society.
Example; there are some books which criticises about corruption and
misuse of power done by political leaders.
