Many people have hobbies that include watching movies, streaming TV series, seeing live events, listening to podcasts, and reading books.  These provide enjoyment, can be thought-provoking, or can be an escape for us from everyday life.

Some prefer to read books on paper, others on a phone or e-reader.

One part of English coursework focuses on composition and writing essays, but another aspect is reading and analyzing literature — poetry, fiction, and drama.  The purpose for any of these could be to entertain, to persuade, or to inform, and these relate closely to ways that many people choose to spend their free time now.  These past works were initially created for audiences in their day, and works of literature that we read and analyze today in literature courses have stood the test of time and explore issues and topics that are still relevant.

When we read literature from long ago, we learn more about what was happening in the past.  We can see how events in history influenced the type of literature that was produced, and literature can help us to better understand or relate to historical events.  We better sympathize when we read or hear about a person who experienced historical events rather than when we rattle off dates or memorize numbers.  Essentially, we humanize history.

Reading literature also helps us to connect with others as we see a new perspective and better understand the human condition.  When we can recognize nuance in a favorite character, we might be more patient with a co-worker who we might not understand.  When we read about a childhood that is very different from our own, we can be more sympathetic with others who make choices that are puzzling to us.

This section introduces the different parts of literature, examines ways that we can read literary criticism, and provides a framework to analyze literature.