At the beginning of this course, I received the task to describe literature based on the work of Northrop Frye and other literary pieces I had previously read. At that time, I concluded that literature is an entire kingdom of its own that defies the laws of our world and takes us into another, fulfills our hearts’ desires, and teaches us important lessons for life. After studying poems and dramas more in depth during this course, I realized my first impression of literature was correct. I have read dramas and poems that allowed me to imagine exciting experiences outside of my own world, expressed and purged my innermost emotions, and taught me about personal flaws that can lead even the greatest of heroes to utter destruction if they are not
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It can be difficult to express our feelings in the real world because we are so afraid of what others may think, but through literature those emotions are unconstrained. Aristotle calls this catharsis or purgation when experienced while watching a tragedy in theater. “Aristotle implies that after witnessing a tragedy we feel better, not worse—not depressed, but somehow elated” (Kennedy 1161). After reading Oedipus the King, I had a sense of pity on Oedipus because he could not escape his fate. He was destined to kill his father and have a child with his mother and it was totally out of his control (Sophocles 1164-1202). Any human can relate to this because we all encounter situations where we cannot manipulate the outcome just like Oedipus. Our empathy for his situation that is much like ours is released, leaving us satisfied with these feelings. Poetry is also a great way to express our deepest emotions and to relate to others’. In the modern poem “The Facebook Sonnet”, the author says “Let’s sign up, sign in, and confess here at the altar of loneliness” (Alexie 814). The poem talks about how we live our lives in the past on social media and this results in loneliness because everyone is always pretending. In this generation, I can definitely see the negative impact that social media has on people. This poem has caught my attention because it expresses the same thoughts I have stored up but often do not communicate. Through literature, we are able to free the feelings we hold captive
It can be difficult to express our feelings in the real world because we are so afraid of what others may think, but through literature those emotions are unconstrained. Aristotle calls this catharsis or purgation when experienced while watching a tragedy in theater. “Aristotle implies that after witnessing a tragedy we feel better, not worse—not depressed, but somehow elated” (Kennedy 1161). After reading Oedipus the King, I had a sense of pity on Oedipus because he could not escape his fate. He was destined to kill his father and have a child with his mother and it was totally out of his control (Sophocles 1164-1202). Any human can relate to this because we all encounter situations where we cannot manipulate the outcome just like Oedipus. Our empathy for his situation that is much like ours is released, leaving us satisfied with these feelings. Poetry is also a great way to express our deepest emotions and to relate to others’. In the modern poem “The Facebook Sonnet”, the author says “Let’s sign up, sign in, and confess here at the altar of loneliness” (Alexie 814). The poem talks about how we live our lives in the past on social media and this results in loneliness because everyone is always pretending. In this generation, I can definitely see the negative impact that social media has on people. This poem has caught my attention because it expresses the same thoughts I have stored up but often do not communicate. Through literature, we are able to free the feelings we hold captive