Literature
Literature consists of written works, especially poetry, drama, and prose fiction, valued for artistic expression, language, and imaginative form.
Poetry: Writing that uses patterned language, imagery, sound, or lineation to create concentrated expression. Its line breaks, rhythms, and figurative language distinguish one major literary form.
Close reading: Detailed analysis of a text's language, structure, imagery, and patterns. It examines how specific choices in a literary work shape its effects.
Oral literature: Literary works composed, transmitted, or performed through spoken rather than written forms. Written literature developed alongside traditions carried through performance and memory.
Nonfiction: Writing that presents itself as an account of actual people, events, or ideas. Its truth claims differ from the inventions central to much literary fiction.
Censorship: The suppression or restriction of expression by authorities or other controlling powers. Literary works have repeatedly been challenged for their subjects, politics, or language.
Drama: Literature composed for performance, typically through dialogue and stage directions. Its action and dialogue are designed to unfold before an audience.
Figurative language: Language that conveys meaning through figures such as metaphor, simile, and personification. Figurative expressions let literary works suggest more than literal statements.
Epic poetry: Long narrative poetry recounting heroic deeds and events significant to a community. Epics preserve some of the oldest and most influential literary traditions.
Journalism: The collection and communication of news and other information about public events. Journalism primarily reports events, though literary techniques can shape its prose.
Canon formation: The process by which particular works become widely recognized as culturally authoritative literature. Institutions and traditions determine which works receive lasting literary status.