Macbeth, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Oedipus Rex are three examples of classic literature that almost all students are made to read in high school. However, students don’t know why they have to read these pieces of literature, and even more so, why they have to analyze them. Because students don’t understand why they are forced to do this, they learn to despise English class, making it one of the least liked classes.
Kids don’t know why they do what they do, and they don’t know how it helps them. I used to be one of those students until I set out to learn the why behind the study of classic literature.
Of course, there are simple reasons, like how the act of reading and analyzing texts makes you smarter and increases your imagination. Or the fact that literature teaches you about different time periods, locations, and mannerisms of other people. But this still doesn’t answer why we study literature. We can learn the above by studying history. We don’t need literature to learn about the past or increase our imagination.
So what does literature teach us? Well, literature increases your vocabulary exponentially and teaches you how to use those new words. Denotations become a thing of the past, and connotations open up a whole new world of language. Metaphors and similes allow us to compare, while imagery lets us see new worlds, feel them, and even smell their unique aroma. Literature lets you become more empathetic and understanding towards others. By studying the lives and actions of fictional characters, we learn how to step into others’ shoes. If we didn’t study and analyze literature, we wouldn’t know how to tell the stories that we all have, and we wouldn’t learn how to connect with each other in a meaningful way.
With Tiktok, Instagram, and Youtube only a click away, most won’t ever read classic literature on their own, so it’s become increasingly important for schools to study literature with students. Not only can students learn to unravel a new story, but they can also better grasp the topics of language and emotional connection. Therefore, it is paramount that teachers explain the benefits of studying literature to their students, so students are motivated and feel a meaningful connection to their learning.
- Switzerland