English Literature is one of the most popular majors in
colleges and universities in Pakistan, India, and many other countries around
the world. Many students are enrolling every year in this field because of its
diverse nature and immense graduate opportunities. However, with such a broad
area of study, students are often confused about what opportunities a degree in
English Literature provides. This article examines the importance of a degree
in English Literature, and what doors it could open for the students.
English Literature opens up a world of inspiration and
creativity, it also develops different skills in students that are essential
for today's global environment. It is an opportunity to discover how literature
makes sense of the world through poems, novels, plays, and stories. It also
enables the students to enhance their abilities to read, write, analyze, and
persuade.
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Some of the common uses of an English Literature degree
include becoming a teacher, writer, or researcher. Although, it could be
utilized in many different ways. Some students use it to begin a path in the
digital marketing world, others are using it to become journalists or for some,
it is a stepping stone to a degree in law. No matter whatever route one ends
upon, this degree can open doors to huge numbers of fulfilling career options.
What Does English Literature Means
English Literature means the study of texts from around
the world, which is written in the English language. The study of English
Literature enables students to analyze a multitude of texts and write using
several different styles. It also focuses on analysis, debate, and critical
thinking about a large number of published work, they can be novels, poems,
plays, or other literary works.
Literature is one of the genres of art and it is
defined as writing with artistic merit. However, it also includes song lyrics,
screenplays, nonfiction, and online communication in the form of blogs or other
means. These forms can also be considered literature under the contemporary
understanding of the term.
Studying English Literature Versus Reading it for
Pleasure
When one studying English literature he will start it
from its history, writers, and different genres it includes. More specifically,
one must follow the ages, works, and writers, which are included in the course.
This type of study mostly consists of classical works and famous writers, like
Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", William Shakespeare's plays or
sonnets, and John Milton and Wordsworth poems, etc.
On the other hand, a person who is reading English
literature for pleasure is not bond by these peculiarities. He can pick and
read whatever book or genre he pleases. Moreover, he doesn't need to know about
major writers, famous works, or the history of English literature.
Importance of English Literature
Studying English Literature means you are studying
almost every subject under the sun. In each text you study, there will be
elements of art, music, sociology, history, philosophy, and even natural
science. It means that you will be able to understand the whole world around
you.
It is not "English Literature" but rather
"Literature in English", because people from every corner of the
world are nowadays writing in the English language. Consequently, it is now not
only limited to England and Wales but almost every region of the world
producing English literature. However, it is divided into different
sub-categories, such as American Literature, New Zealand Literature, Australian
Literature, African Literature, and Asian Literature.
English Literature also teaches us many lessons that
have universal themes, such as love, war, desire, justice, sympathy, and many
more. When we read these topics our view about the world changes and we become
more sophisticated in our thinking, and this also makes us better human beings
and better citizens.
"Literature is one of the most interesting and
significant expressions of humanity"
P.T Barnum
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Nice work
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