is literature important?

[sKYwalker]

this is my research topic. see whether anyone can help me??
maybe its quite boring, but anyway, hope sbd can provide some views.

[sKYwalker]

this is my research topic. see whether anyone can help me??
maybe its quite boring, but anyway, hope sbd can provide some views.

[cquayhl]

Important for what/in what way? Or is that part of the question...

[cquayhl]

Important for what/in what way? Or is that part of the question...

[sKYwalker]

i meant, does the existence of literature important in today's society? do we, as humans or as students need to study that? should we spend millions in encouraging students to take up the subject or should we concentrate our resources in more pressing matters such as poverty?does literature play any role in human's progression?

[sKYwalker]

i meant, does the existence of literature important in today's society? do we, as humans or as students need to study that? should we spend millions in encouraging students to take up the subject or should we concentrate our resources in more pressing matters such as poverty?does literature play any role in human's progression?

[wawa]

yes, I really do think that we should learn literature.
There's lot of wisdom and lessons to be learnt from literature.
It motivates people and avoid us from committing the same mistakes our elders did long time ago.
:wink:

[wawa]

yes, I really do think that we should learn literature.
There's lot of wisdom and lessons to be learnt from literature.
It motivates people and avoid us from committing the same mistakes our elders did long time ago.
:wink:

[sanghanuman]

Well, the term "literature" is a big domain for written pieces. Every book is a piece of literature. However I do realize that what you mean is "sastera"? or is it not?

If it is sastera that your are asking about, I do think it is important for the young generation to learn it. I say, literature like stories, do provide moral for readers to learn from. Sometimes it is so obscure that we don't really feel the impact but it is there, we change for the better unconsciously.

Plus, reading a lot of literature will enhance our thinking skills. One could be more critical, and one could be more creative in, for example, solving a problem because by reading literature, your ability to form alternatives increases.

Yes, do read literature, do study them.

[sanghanuman]

Well, the term "literature" is a big domain for written pieces. Every book is a piece of literature. However I do realize that what you mean is "sastera"? or is it not?

If it is sastera that your are asking about, I do think it is important for the young generation to learn it. I say, literature like stories, do provide moral for readers to learn from. Sometimes it is so obscure that we don't really feel the impact but it is there, we change for the better unconsciously.

Plus, reading a lot of literature will enhance our thinking skills. One could be more critical, and one could be more creative in, for example, solving a problem because by reading literature, your ability to form alternatives increases.

Yes, do read literature, do study them.

[__earth]

I would say that there are six (or is it eight?) basis of civilization. One of them is literature. That should be enough to say literature is important.

[__earth]

I would say that there are six (or is it eight?) basis of civilization. One of them is literature. That should be enough to say literature is important.

[trishotiwuth]

should we spend millions in encouraging students to take up the subject or should we concentrate our resources in more pressing matters such as poverty?

No, I don't think it is neccessary for us to go as far as spending 'millions' to encourage students to take literature. The are many other areas such as education and health which are in greater need of financial assistance.

However, literature is important and that's why the Ministry of Education incorporates the literature component into the SPM English paper. Literature is not only to be read, it is to be appreciated. Most famous works deal with social issues such as gender and racial discrimination and students can open up their minds through reading the pieces.

I took English Studies (another fancy name for Literature) for my Pre-U studies last year and we did Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (deals with gender bias, women's emancipation), To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee (racial discrimination, white superiority), Shakespeare's Macbeth (greed, desire for power) and G.B Shaw's Pygmalion (social class).

Give literature a try. It deserves more credit than what is already given.

[trishotiwuth]

should we spend millions in encouraging students to take up the subject or should we concentrate our resources in more pressing matters such as poverty?

No, I don't think it is neccessary for us to go as far as spending 'millions' to encourage students to take literature. The are many other areas such as education and health which are in greater need of financial assistance.

However, literature is important and that's why the Ministry of Education incorporates the literature component into the SPM English paper. Literature is not only to be read, it is to be appreciated. Most famous works deal with social issues such as gender and racial discrimination and students can open up their minds through reading the pieces.

I took English Studies (another fancy name for Literature) for my Pre-U studies last year and we did Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (deals with gender bias, women's emancipation), To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee (racial discrimination, white superiority), Shakespeare's Macbeth (greed, desire for power) and G.B Shaw's Pygmalion (social class).

Give literature a try. It deserves more credit than what is already given.

[miraclesnfantasy]

Give literature a try. It deserves more credit than what is already given.

Its weird when u realize the fun of literature when you actually LEARN it. and i have to agree wit trishotiwuth...never judge a book by its cover.although i've never been able to actually score a literature paper but the excitement is in 'learning' a literature piece.

[miraclesnfantasy]

Give literature a try. It deserves more credit than what is already given.

Its weird when u realize the fun of literature when you actually LEARN it. and i have to agree wit trishotiwuth...never judge a book by its cover.although i've never been able to actually score a literature paper but the excitement is in 'learning' a literature piece.

[trishotiwuth]

Here's a list of past Nobel Prize Winners in Literature. It clearly illustrates the contributions of literature to mankind. :)

http://www.almaz.com/nobel/literature/

Support literature!

[trishotiwuth]

Here's a list of past Nobel Prize Winners in Literature. It clearly illustrates the contributions of literature to mankind. :)

http://www.almaz.com/nobel/literature/

Support literature!

[miraclesnfantasy]

hmm...i c u've done ur homework.. :)

[miraclesnfantasy]

hmm...i c u've done ur homework.. :)

[miraclesnfantasy]

the actual lesson that can be learned from literature is actually the embedded things not only the surface. take harry potter for instance, without literature we wont realize that there's a meaning behind every weird name that appears in d book.sum people just dont understand that lit is more than searching for the story's plot, character and mood.

[miraclesnfantasy]

the actual lesson that can be learned from literature is actually the embedded things not only the surface. take harry potter for instance, without literature we wont realize that there's a meaning behind every weird name that appears in d book.sum people just dont understand that lit is more than searching for the story's plot, character and mood.

[topdog]

miraclesfantasy, are you talking about literature the school subject? sounds like it.

[topdog]

miraclesfantasy, are you talking about literature the school subject? sounds like it.

[jiinjoo]

yeah - maybe we should define the term literature more specifically. Ive been reading a LOT of literature recently, specifically, operating system literature...... (i.e. os research papers....) :?


As for the subject "literature" in high school, whatever language it might be in, it is certainly something that we all should have some exposure to, not necessarily going in depth. Basic lit lets us survey the various culture and thought of various learned people (assuming that your teacher knows how to choose which book to read / discuss). If I was given a chance, I'd definitely give the subject a try.

[jiinjoo]

yeah - maybe we should define the term literature more specifically. Ive been reading a LOT of literature recently, specifically, operating system literature...... (i.e. os research papers....) :?


As for the subject "literature" in high school, whatever language it might be in, it is certainly something that we all should have some exposure to, not necessarily going in depth. Basic lit lets us survey the various culture and thought of various learned people (assuming that your teacher knows how to choose which book to read / discuss). If I was given a chance, I'd definitely give the subject a try.

[topdog]

i have never read any classic literary work (like Pride and Prejudice) in its unabridged form, and don't intend to. i didn't even enjoy the few abridged versions i read as a kid.:( well, except for Oliver Twist.

[topdog]

i have never read any classic literary work (like Pride and Prejudice) in its unabridged form, and don't intend to. i didn't even enjoy the few abridged versions i read as a kid.:( well, except for Oliver Twist.

[Yeogolas]

I think this topic is important coz' to remember about our old grand father like William Shakepere ..... Him love family ... I think the litrature is about the country before the moden now...

[Yeogolas]

I think this topic is important coz' to remember about our old grand father like William Shakepere ..... Him love family ... I think the litrature is about the country before the moden now...

[qedx]

i agree there should be some more literature stuff (BM and English) especially in high schools. we shouldnt be learning grammar at form 4 :/ perhaps malaysians dont read enough

[qedx]

i agree there should be some more literature stuff (BM and English) especially in high schools. we shouldnt be learning grammar at form 4 :/ perhaps malaysians dont read enough

[cquayhl]

Skywalker,

Out of curiousity, your research for what?
Disclaimer: I'm a physics student and despite going to a liberal arts college have never taken a formal literature class, so caveat lector and all that.
I think that in general, yes, we should allow and encourage people to study literature. Millions, why not? That's peanuts compared the amount of money we have poured into mega-projects. There are lots of useful things one learns by studying literature. For example:

1. Development of critical thinking skills. A 'practical' outcome! Reading, thinking about things you read and comparing notes with others is a relatively inexpensive way of doing this. Good lab equipment is much more expensive than good books! (Of course, without good teachers, both methods will be quite difficult.)

2. The appreciation of beauty. Similar to (1), a good library is cheaper than a good museum.

3. Exposure to different cultures and time periods. I like to say that history repeats itself temporally as well geographically. :-) It's good to know that there is nothing new under the sun.

4. Being able to read more books! :-) After a while, one realises that books keep referring to other books. It's good to know what people are talking about when that happens.

If you are asking should we make a a compulsory subject for SPM, then I'd say no, that's probably a bad idea.
Some of my favourite websites about books: www.bbc.co.uk/books, www.aldaily.com, www.linkstoliterature.com. Another interesting link: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/csj/111700/econ.shtml
OK, I'm a fan of reading. :-) Hijacking the conversation completely...here are a few pointers down the slippery slope. Start small. Read things you like. Occasionally, make an effort to read something 'different', but if you don't like it, *shrug*. Don't feel like you have to finish everything you start. It's probably not good to read too much literary criticism too soon...better to form some of your own ideas first before seeing what other people think. Talking to friends about books is better, I think, because that way there's some back and forth and also, they are probably more on the same level as you are.
Happy reading!

Cheers,
Charis.

P.S. Of course, you can see that all that reading hasn't done anything for my writing abilities. Hehe.

[cquayhl]

Skywalker,

Out of curiousity, your research for what?
Disclaimer: I'm a physics student and despite going to a liberal arts college have never taken a formal literature class, so caveat lector and all that.
I think that in general, yes, we should allow and encourage people to study literature. Millions, why not? That's peanuts compared the amount of money we have poured into mega-projects. There are lots of useful things one learns by studying literature. For example:

1. Development of critical thinking skills. A 'practical' outcome! Reading, thinking about things you read and comparing notes with others is a relatively inexpensive way of doing this. Good lab equipment is much more expensive than good books! (Of course, without good teachers, both methods will be quite difficult.)

2. The appreciation of beauty. Similar to (1), a good library is cheaper than a good museum.

3. Exposure to different cultures and time periods. I like to say that history repeats itself temporally as well geographically. :-) It's good to know that there is nothing new under the sun.

4. Being able to read more books! :-) After a while, one realises that books keep referring to other books. It's good to know what people are talking about when that happens.

If you are asking should we make a a compulsory subject for SPM, then I'd say no, that's probably a bad idea.
Some of my favourite websites about books: www.bbc.co.uk/books, www.aldaily.com, www.linkstoliterature.com. Another interesting link: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/csj/111700/econ.shtml
OK, I'm a fan of reading. :-) Hijacking the conversation completely...here are a few pointers down the slippery slope. Start small. Read things you like. Occasionally, make an effort to read something 'different', but if you don't like it, *shrug*. Don't feel like you have to finish everything you start. It's probably not good to read too much literary criticism too soon...better to form some of your own ideas first before seeing what other people think. Talking to friends about books is better, I think, because that way there's some back and forth and also, they are probably more on the same level as you are.
Happy reading!

Cheers,
Charis.

P.S. Of course, you can see that all that reading hasn't done anything for my writing abilities. Hehe.

[budakkerek]

i've always loved reading, and even wanted to take Literature as one of the subjects for SPM (then i changed to another school, where they don't offer such subject) bcoz i feel that it's a fun subject, where you get to dissect poems and read and try to come up with your own ideas and intepretation. Like the poem, Mushroom (Sylvia Plath). Some ppl say it's bout the nuclear bomd, some say it's bout the hidden power of women. Well, like i said, it's open for interpretation. And that's the fun part of Lit (IMHO).

Anyway, literature is one of my strongest subjects during my foundation years. I enjoy my Lit classes bcoz lit promotes critical thinking - you hv to know how to read between the lines, understand beyond the meaning and get into the author's/writer's mind.

It's not as difficult as some ppl claim it is. At least, i don't think so. Lit is fun, esp when you hv a super cool lecturer like i did during my foudnation years.

Like Charis said, start small. read sthing that you're interested in, and dont listen to other ppl's opinion bout books..read em first, n then you make your mind up about it. :wink:

[budakkerek]

i've always loved reading, and even wanted to take Literature as one of the subjects for SPM (then i changed to another school, where they don't offer such subject) bcoz i feel that it's a fun subject, where you get to dissect poems and read and try to come up with your own ideas and intepretation. Like the poem, Mushroom (Sylvia Plath). Some ppl say it's bout the nuclear bomd, some say it's bout the hidden power of women. Well, like i said, it's open for interpretation. And that's the fun part of Lit (IMHO).

Anyway, literature is one of my strongest subjects during my foundation years. I enjoy my Lit classes bcoz lit promotes critical thinking - you hv to know how to read between the lines, understand beyond the meaning and get into the author's/writer's mind.

It's not as difficult as some ppl claim it is. At least, i don't think so. Lit is fun, esp when you hv a super cool lecturer like i did during my foudnation years.

Like Charis said, start small. read sthing that you're interested in, and dont listen to other ppl's opinion bout books..read em first, n then you make your mind up about it. :wink:

[cquayhl]

At the risk of a) sounding like a snob b) beating a dead horse, here's a quotation from a book I've been reading lately. It's not an argument for or against teaching people to appreciate literature, but I thought it was interesting.

Begin quote.

What marks the different ways of reading? Lewis lists four distinctions between what he calls 'literary' and 'unliterary' reading.

'The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers "I've read it already" to be a conclusive argument against reading a work....Those who read great works, on the other hand, will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.'

Lewis's second point is that unliterary readers generally 'do not set much store by reading.' Reading is something they do when there is nothing else to do, or to relieve boredom on a train, in a doctor's office or on nights when they can't sleep. Literary people, on the other hand, 'are always looking for leisure and silence in which to read and do so with their whole attention.'

The third distinction is that a book for the literary can be a deep, profound experience, 'an experience so momentous that only experiences of love, religion or bereavement can furnish a standard of comparison. Their whole consciousness is changed.'

Finally, 'what they have read is constantly and prominently present to the mind' of 'good' readers. They remember and savour favourite passages. 'Scenes and characters from books provide them with a sort of iconography by which they interpret or sum up their experience.' Unliterary readers 'seldom think or talk about their reading.'

But Lewis is unimpressed with people who read all the 'right books' because they are status seekers or 'culture vultures.' He also says that many people who deal with literature professionally are not ver good readers. Lewis had the occasional colleague who didn't want to talk about literature 'after hours'. Books for them were a job, like bricks for a bricklayer, not a passion.

Lewis then goes on to compare how a similar set of distinctions could be made concerning the use of music and the visual arts. In both of these instances, as with literature, one can either 'receive' a woek of art or 'use' it. ...

End quote.

The book is 'All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture' by Kenneth Myers. Myers used to be a producer for NPR and now has his own firm, www.marshillaudio.org. The quotations within the quotation are all from 'An Experiment in Criticism' by CS Lewis, whom some of you may be familiar with.

Hmm...I sometimes refuse to talk about physics after hours. I wonder if that makes me an unphysicy person. :-P

[cquayhl]

At the risk of a) sounding like a snob b) beating a dead horse, here's a quotation from a book I've been reading lately. It's not an argument for or against teaching people to appreciate literature, but I thought it was interesting.

Begin quote.

What marks the different ways of reading? Lewis lists four distinctions between what he calls 'literary' and 'unliterary' reading.

'The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers "I've read it already" to be a conclusive argument against reading a work....Those who read great works, on the other hand, will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.'

Lewis's second point is that unliterary readers generally 'do not set much store by reading.' Reading is something they do when there is nothing else to do, or to relieve boredom on a train, in a doctor's office or on nights when they can't sleep. Literary people, on the other hand, 'are always looking for leisure and silence in which to read and do so with their whole attention.'

The third distinction is that a book for the literary can be a deep, profound experience, 'an experience so momentous that only experiences of love, religion or bereavement can furnish a standard of comparison. Their whole consciousness is changed.'

Finally, 'what they have read is constantly and prominently present to the mind' of 'good' readers. They remember and savour favourite passages. 'Scenes and characters from books provide them with a sort of iconography by which they interpret or sum up their experience.' Unliterary readers 'seldom think or talk about their reading.'

But Lewis is unimpressed with people who read all the 'right books' because they are status seekers or 'culture vultures.' He also says that many people who deal with literature professionally are not ver good readers. Lewis had the occasional colleague who didn't want to talk about literature 'after hours'. Books for them were a job, like bricks for a bricklayer, not a passion.

Lewis then goes on to compare how a similar set of distinctions could be made concerning the use of music and the visual arts. In both of these instances, as with literature, one can either 'receive' a woek of art or 'use' it. ...

End quote.

The book is 'All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture' by Kenneth Myers. Myers used to be a producer for NPR and now has his own firm, www.marshillaudio.org. The quotations within the quotation are all from 'An Experiment in Criticism' by CS Lewis, whom some of you may be familiar with.

Hmm...I sometimes refuse to talk about physics after hours. I wonder if that makes me an unphysicy person. :-P

[oshmelvin]

I think literature is indeed important in today's society. Literature brings to light the culture and historical past of our people. (that is for classic literature) It tells us about life in the past for example life in the 19th century although some literature works like julius caeser depicts life in of one of the early civilizations (the romans). Also, literature works by shakespear involves the emotional side of a human being. Being able to convey one's feeling to another through literature is a beautiful thing (take for example sonnet 18 written for lady viola in "shakespear in love"). This should be encouraged in our modern society which has been given less time to convey their true feelings to others - most of us are busy in our own ways (work, studies...etc). Also, it is worth it for the government to spend millions on literature education. Malaysia take for example is lack of english writers. So, to increase the number of writers and journalists, we need literature. By introducing literature to our students we will be able to promote writing in our society and with that we will be able to generate income for our country.(imagine if one of our malaysian writers could write a book like harry potter, how much money will it generate to our country?) Besides, we have more funds in the government than you think (that's the reason we pay taxes every month), so I guess there's still more than enough money to take care of other social problems in our country such as poverty and etc.... Modern and classical literature does encourage people to think and write creatively (one plot leads to better plots in the future) so it is a good thing to introduce literature to our students and the society. In addition to that, it also teaches a person some moral values for example good always triumph over evil (although it's not always true). :D

[oshmelvin]

I think literature is indeed important in today's society. Literature brings to light the culture and historical past of our people. (that is for classic literature) It tells us about life in the past for example life in the 19th century although some literature works like julius caeser depicts life in of one of the early civilizations (the romans). Also, literature works by shakespear involves the emotional side of a human being. Being able to convey one's feeling to another through literature is a beautiful thing (take for example sonnet 18 written for lady viola in "shakespear in love"). This should be encouraged in our modern society which has been given less time to convey their true feelings to others - most of us are busy in our own ways (work, studies...etc). Also, it is worth it for the government to spend millions on literature education. Malaysia take for example is lack of english writers. So, to increase the number of writers and journalists, we need literature. By introducing literature to our students we will be able to promote writing in our society and with that we will be able to generate income for our country.(imagine if one of our malaysian writers could write a book like harry potter, how much money will it generate to our country?) Besides, we have more funds in the government than you think (that's the reason we pay taxes every month), so I guess there's still more than enough money to take care of other social problems in our country such as poverty and etc.... Modern and classical literature does encourage people to think and write creatively (one plot leads to better plots in the future) so it is a good thing to introduce literature to our students and the society. In addition to that, it also teaches a person some moral values for example good always triumph over evil (although it's not always true). :D

[Panda]

SkyWalker

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.

To be frank, i hate literature. I think that literature is too difficult to study. And most of the time, the language use is too pretentious and of no meaning. I dont mean to offend anyone here. I just give my opinion. :roll:

Sorry SkyWalker for not giving you what you want to hear!

[Panda]

SkyWalker

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.

To be frank, i hate literature. I think that literature is too difficult to study. And most of the time, the language use is too pretentious and of no meaning. I dont mean to offend anyone here. I just give my opinion. :roll:

Sorry SkyWalker for not giving you what you want to hear!

[ElansarGelmir]

Panda wrote:

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.
quite true...but isn't it a lil boring to be learning bout science subjects all day? no offense...i'm not a literature fanatic myself...but can just read some of it for fun. hehe.....in other words, i prefer literature when it's not an assignment. Just something to do during spare time...

In my humble opinion, literature and arts are one of the most intellectual subjects of all. Basically, Sciences are just facts and a study of nature. If you understand what's going on around you, then that's it. No further explanation. Perhaps there's no boundary for Science, not yet, but in literature, it depicts the behavior and mind of someone... And to interpret and study someone from his or her work is ain't easy as we can have different point of views due to the diversity of our background. After all, humans are never the same. And literature has it beauty as well, while Science, albeit sometimes amazes us with new facts and discoveries, is just there for us to see and grasp its concepts. I mean, what is so beautiful in E=MC square? If P is true, then Q is true. If Q is false, P is false. No flexibility in it. No further arguments. Whereas literature provide a vast field for everyone to express what they see in it .... Like what Mdm Ranee said in our American Cultural Studies classes, "In literature, no one is wrong in interpreting a work..."

[ElansarGelmir]

Panda wrote:

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.
quite true...but isn't it a lil boring to be learning bout science subjects all day? no offense...i'm not a literature fanatic myself...but can just read some of it for fun. hehe.....in other words, i prefer literature when it's not an assignment. Just something to do during spare time...

In my humble opinion, literature and arts are one of the most intellectual subjects of all. Basically, Sciences are just facts and a study of nature. If you understand what's going on around you, then that's it. No further explanation. Perhaps there's no boundary for Science, not yet, but in literature, it depicts the behavior and mind of someone... And to interpret and study someone from his or her work is ain't easy as we can have different point of views due to the diversity of our background. After all, humans are never the same. And literature has it beauty as well, while Science, albeit sometimes amazes us with new facts and discoveries, is just there for us to see and grasp its concepts. I mean, what is so beautiful in E=MC square? If P is true, then Q is true. If Q is false, P is false. No flexibility in it. No further arguments. Whereas literature provide a vast field for everyone to express what they see in it .... Like what Mdm Ranee said in our American Cultural Studies classes, "In literature, no one is wrong in interpreting a work..."

[Ic3b3rg]

Panda wrote:

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.


quite true...but isn't it a lil boring to be learning bout science subjects all day? no offense...i'm not a literature fanatic myself...but can just read some of it for fun. hehe.....in other words, i prefer literature when it's not an assignment. Just something to do during spare time...
_________________

I love literature becos i love the beauty in the words.... have you ever read the beautiful phrases of Shakespeare?
"Doubt that the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth shine; Doubt that truth be a liar; But never doubt that I love".
Hamlet, II, ii :P

And i get to "live" in places and era different from my own.... :wink: Literature is relevant becos thru it we learn about humanity....
but... to force everyone to learn literature is pointless... :roll:

[Ic3b3rg]

Panda wrote:

I think that literature is completely irrelevant in this era.
instead of wasting our time in the literature, why dont we stury something that will benefit our society. We can study Physics and Chemistry or Biology.


quite true...but isn't it a lil boring to be learning bout science subjects all day? no offense...i'm not a literature fanatic myself...but can just read some of it for fun. hehe.....in other words, i prefer literature when it's not an assignment. Just something to do during spare time...
_________________

I love literature becos i love the beauty in the words.... have you ever read the beautiful phrases of Shakespeare?
"Doubt that the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth shine; Doubt that truth be a liar; But never doubt that I love".
Hamlet, II, ii :P

And i get to "live" in places and era different from my own.... :wink: Literature is relevant becos thru it we learn about humanity....
but... to force everyone to learn literature is pointless... :roll:

[hungwei]

I think that literature is important.

Different activities stimulate different parts of the brains, and literature is one of them.

If you're saying that literature is useless, that we should devote ourselves to some better things to do...well, what else is better to do other than meditating on the beauty of literature to stimulate your mind so that you can do better in physics, chem, and the like?

And quite a number of interesting, innovative scientific discovery and solution were made while reciting poems, etc... sorry to say that i forgot the examples of such scientists.

[hungwei]

I think that literature is important.

Different activities stimulate different parts of the brains, and literature is one of them.

If you're saying that literature is useless, that we should devote ourselves to some better things to do...well, what else is better to do other than meditating on the beauty of literature to stimulate your mind so that you can do better in physics, chem, and the like?

And quite a number of interesting, innovative scientific discovery and solution were made while reciting poems, etc... sorry to say that i forgot the examples of such scientists.

[ElansarGelmir]

We have to look back at history. Greece is rich in her literature - King Solomon was one of revered poets ever. Because of this, the culture of the Greek expands over the continent, and thus, we have people with inquisite minds like Socrates and Platos, who then developed philosphies and logics, which then bring the world to Science. So, how can one deny the significance of literature to our world.

[ElansarGelmir]

We have to look back at history. Greece is rich in her literature - King Solomon was one of revered poets ever. Because of this, the culture of the Greek expands over the continent, and thus, we have people with inquisite minds like Socrates and Platos, who then developed philosphies and logics, which then bring the world to Science. So, how can one deny the significance of literature to our world.