It has never been more important to teach literature to aspiring young students than in today’s academic universe. With each passing day our young are enamored with the newest way to communicate, most of which by pass full expression. It seems to be more about verbal ‘hit and run’, where they throw out some acronyms and move on. Today’s young society has less and less patience and their appreciation for literature and what it entails is waning. A relatively high percentage of students learn the literary classics through cliff notes where they focus on what they believe is important, the plot, the characters, and what the book is about (LoMonico 20). While it is indeed important to know who and what a book, or a play is about, it is as, if not more important to know how those characters developed. Focusing on plot and themes would be like driving across the country without paying attention to the surroundings. The important part of the reading experience is not so much the totality of the words as the individual words themselves. Every writer has a blank tablet when they write, why did they choose the words they did, why did they not choose other words? This is why learning literature is important.
There is a reason why Abraham Lincoln created one of the most powerful speeches that covers only two minutes (LoMonico 20). It was his choice of words, the vivid images he wanted to create in the minds of those who heard or read those words that make those two minutes so enduring. Taking the short cut and learning to pass a test about a book is fine if all you care about is a grade, but you lose the opportunity to interpret the chosen words and while you may have a good grade you really did not challenge your mind to expand, you merely memorized some facts. Analyzing the actual words of dialogues within novels empowers the reader to understand who those characters really are. Many times having the students read aloud from the books themselves is an enlightening diversion if done correctly (LoMonico 20). Even more important is to dissect the passages without merely reading to get them done. Students should take a certain passage or dialogue and examine other ways to express the same feelings or message (LoMonico 20). This forces the students to look within themselves for the power of words as expressions of the goals they have in the message they are providing. Teaching literature is a dynamic that can not be lost in today’s educational spectrum. In order to do it correctly, the teacher needs to be willing to give the tools to the students to work with. Having them take a reading and interpret it through a performance, forcing the words to embrace the power they represent is a powerful tool (LoMonico 25). Allow them to analyze the work and search for alternative ways of expressing the same desired result, see if there are words that can be left out without changing the meaning is teaching them the true influence and value of the chosen words (LoMonico 25). After which have them compare, share their ideas, see how the work they are studying has inspired them to choose their words of expression.
Literature represents an extremely powerful tool for learning that is bound only by the meaning of the words being read and the ability of the students to make informed interpretations, to create images of their own. Our ‘want it now’ culture is at a turning point that can not afford to lose the vast promise literature can provide. It is imperative to take the time, to look beyond the usual and examine and appreciate the collection of words on a page for the picture they can paint and how that picture can differ according to the eyes of the beholder.
Works Cited
LoMonico, Michael. “Why We Teach Literature (and How We Can Do It Better).” Minnesota English Journal, (n,d.), pp. 15-30, http://lomonico.com/uploads/Why_We_teach_Literature.pdf. Accessed 25 January 2017.
