Literature is an art of written works and is literally translated as "acquaintance with letters". This commonly refers to works of creative minds including poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction and journalism.

Literature represents the culture and tradition of a language or a group of 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.

Literature provides a kind of blueprint of our humanity and our civilization. From the writings of ancient civilizations like in China and Egypt to Greek philosophy and poetry, from the epics of Homer to the plays of Shakespeare, from Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte to Pablo Neruda, works of literature give insight and context to all of the worlds' societies.

Whatever critical paradigm we use to discuss and analyze it, literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is universal, and it affects us on a deeply personal level. Literature is a paradox of itself.