1. What is literature?

- Literature is a term used to describe written and sometimes spoken

material. Derived from the Latin litteratura meaning "writing formed with
letters," literature most commonly refers to works of the creative
imagination, including poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and in
some instances, song. Simply put, literature represents the culture and
tradition of a language or a people. It's difficult to precisely define, though
many have tried, but it's clear that the accepted definition of literature is
constantly changing and evolving.

For many, the word literature suggests a higher art form, merely putting
words on a page doesn't necessarily mean creating literature. A canon is the
accepted body of works for a given author. Some works of literature are
considered canonical, that is culturally representative of a particlar genre.

2. What is Etymology?

- Etymology is not a rhetorical or literary device. Etymology is the

investigation of word histories. Every word in every language has a unique
origin and history; words can be born in many ways, and often their histories
are quite adventurous and informative. Etymology investigates and
documents the lives (mainly the origins) of words.

The etymology of a word may include many things. A words birthday is

usually given as the date of the first known usage of the word in print. If a
word, like selfie was created within historical times, its origin is described.
Most words developed over hundreds of years out of previous words, going
back into the ancient past, so an etymology tries to trace that development
back as far as it can, usually ending with the oldest dead language that we
actually have records of. Most words had slightly or very different meanings
in the ancient languages they came from, which is documented as well.

3. What is figure of speech?

- Definition of Figure of Speech A figure of speech is a phrase or word having

different meanings than its literal meanings. It conveys meaning by
identifying or comparing one thing to another, which has connotation or
meaning familiar to the audience. That is why it is helpful in creating vivid
rhetorical effect.

15 Kinds of Figure of Speech

 Euphemism - Words that are used to soften the message are often
considered euphemisms. Passed away is often used in place of died
or killed. A misunderstanding might be used in place of fight or
argument. And who could forget wardrobe malfunction, which is a
fancy way of saying your clothes fell off.
Understatement and Hyperbole - These two figures of speech are
opposite to each other. Hyperboleuses extreme exaggeration. It
exaggerates to lay emphasis on a certain quality or feature. It stirs up
emotions among the readers, these emotions could be about
happiness, romance, inspiration, laughter or sadness.
Synecdoche - This is a figure of speech in which one thing is meant to
represent the whole. A few good examples include ABCs for
alphabet, new set of wheels for car, or 9/11 to demonstrate the
whole of the tragedy that happened in the United States on September
11, 2001. This is often used in journalism as a type of shorthand.
Metaphor - Metaphor is comparing two unlike objects or things, which
may have some common qualities.
Pun - Pun is the manipulation of words that have more than one
meanings. It brings humor in an expression.
Alliteration - This is a very common figure of speech that involves
using words that begin with the same sound.
Anaphora - This figure of speech uses a specific clause at the
beginning of each sentence or point to make a statement.
Assonance - Remember the phrase I Like Ike? It was a very common
phase for those who supported Dwight Eisenhower during his
presidential run. This is a figure of speech that focuses on the vowel
sounds in a phrase, repeating them over and over to great effect.
Hyperbole - It was as big as a mountain! It was faster than a
cheetah! It was dumber than a rock! This figure of speech makes
things seem much bigger than they really were by using grandiose
depictions of everyday things. Hyperbole is often seen as an
exaggeration that adds a bit of humor to a story.
Irony - This figure of speech tries to use a word in a literal sense that
debunks what has just been said. Gentlemen, you cant fight in here!
This is the War Room! from Dr. Strangelove is a great example. It is
often used to poke fun at a situation that everyone else sees as a very
serious matter.
Onomatopoeia - This is the use of a word that actually sounds like
what it means. Good examples include hiss or ding-dong or fizz.
These words are meant to describe something that actually sounds
very much like the word itself. This is a trick often used in advertising
to help convey what something is really like.
Paradox - This figure of speech completely contradicts itself in the
same sentence. Famous quotes that illustrate this from George
Orwells 1984 include: War is peace. Ignorance is strength. Freedom
is slavery. Though we know these things arent true, they present an
interesting paradox that makes a person think seriously about what
they have just read or heard.
Personification - This is a way of giving an inanimate object the
qualities of a living thing. The tree quaked with fear as the wind
approached is an example; The sun smiled down on her is another.
This can sometimes be used to invoke an emotional response to
something by making it more personable, friendly and relatable.
 Smile - It is a type of comparison between things or objects by using
as or like.
Understatement - This is a situation in which the thing discussed is
made to seem much less important than it really is. This famous line
from Catcher in the Rye is a good example: I have to have this
operation. It isnt very serious. I have this tiny tumor on the brain.
Understatement can often be used to comedic effect.
Personification - It occurs when a writer gives human traits to non-
human or inanimate objects. It is similar to metaphors and similes that
also use comparison between two objects.

4. What is the importance of literature?

Literature is important for many reasons, including its ability to provide

pleasure to readers, to help build experience, to help readers empathize with
others and to develop thinking skills. While literature's educational
importance is often downplayed in favor of business and technical education,
the study of books offers many positive benefits to readers.

Reading literature is a pleasurable, entertaining activity that offers readers

the potential to escape from the troubles of daily life. Above all else,
literature survives because of its capacity to entertain readers. Literature
also has the power to provoke thought in readers, making it a leisure activity
that is also intellectually productive. Literature also has the power to impart
a wide variety of experiences to readers. A story can expose readers to
different places, time periods, viewpoints and cultures. Readers can gain
experiences through literature they would never have access to in ordinary
life. Literature's ability to capture the imagination and depict the lives of
others also increases readers' ability to empathize with others. A study
published in the journal Science found that readers of literary fiction
demonstrated an increased ability to infer other people's thoughts and
emotions. Finally, literature helps develop critical-thinking skills. Readings
and discussions of literature force readers to make reasoned judgments
about character motivations, cause and effect, critical analysis of plot and
more.