Literature Studies: Read a Lot, Write a Lot

Literature is one of the most versatile disciplines ever. In the most general sense, literature is a form of written works. It may be considered in different shapes, for example: communication, writing, a part of culture and a branch of knowledge.

Literature is classified in different types: fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose. It includes genres that make up fiction and nonfiction categories. Most popular fiction genres are drama, poetry, fantasy, fable, horror, realistic fiction, science fiction and others. And genres that fall under nonfiction category are essay, biography, narrative or speech.

It is obvious that as a student of literature faculty, you will have to read a great deal of books of all imaginable types. Let’s discuss literature as an academic subjects and find out what is so special about it.

Literature as an academic discipline

As a subject, literature was taught in most schools and universities for many years. Now literary studies is a well-known discipline that gathers students interested in literature, books and writing literary works.

When studying literature at college or university, students examine and analyze literary works, use different techniques in both writing and editing, and gain experience in translating various texts.

After completing a program in literature, every student is able to:

Create a cross-cultural research;

Develop advanced communicative, analytical and creative skills;

Be acquainted with literature from European, Latin American, African and Asian countries;

Make opinion on what they read and describe it in essays;

See the connection between world history, psychology, philosophy, sociology and literature as a part of culture;

Conduct research in literary studies and critically analyze any types of texts;

Learn foreign languages by reading books in original;

Broaden their minds and have a wide outlook.

A practical advice on how to write a good literature essay

To create an efficient literature paper, make sure to follow these steps:

Find and study appropriate sources

Besides a text you are analyzing or reviewing, make sure to find some supporting literature. There is a chance that a lot of researchers have already reviewed it and their thoughts may serve as a source of ideas for you. Find relevant encyclopedias, journals, web resources, examine them carefully and choose the most reliable ones.

Read the sources and take notes

Read your sources thoroughly and write out suitable arguments for your essay. Doing so, you ensure that you won’t forget to include any important points in your paper.

Create a draft

After evaluating the sources, collect information, divide it into parts, and come up the main ideas of your essay. Formulate each of them and construct a draft.

Mind an appropriate structure

Present your topic in an introduction, develop your ideas in the body paragraphs (one idea – one paragraph), and summarize the central points in a conclusion. When writing an argument always support it with explanation and quotations from reliable sources if needed.

Literature may offer great opportunities to gain knowledge, update writing practice and become more intelligent and communicative. However, sometimes students don’t have enough time and energy to cope with all the assignments they receive from tutors. Any time you feel overwhelmed with academic tasks, make sure to ask a writing website for some professional assistance.

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