Literature is the lonely planet of idealists

The intrigue, fiction and imaginative nature of literature has always labelled it close to being idealistic yet it has always represented the common man with zest and fervor and is an imitation of and individual and his surrounding’s influence on him.

Literature, defined as written words especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit. Hence, by definition the realm of literature feels an unattainable one for the pragmatist or the common man. To the contrary, critics’ obsession with literature’s idealism is borne in literature’s innate ability to be unique, to be a marvel rather than deny realism. The great poet of English, Shakespeare said, “For nothing is or not but thinking makes it so”. Hence when we look at literature, we should not look down on it as if far from truth but a derivative one, an imaginative thinking process by which we find the limitations of man.

Realism and literature could not be closer as one finds plenty of realism in the literature of yester years as well as of today. It is a representation of the society and always has been. Authors of these literary pieces have always feared persecution at the hands of so called champions of idealists of time, yet they have been venerated later on, probably after their deaths. Time is the best teacher and so is hindsight, the biggest crime of these imaginative authors and poets is perhaps being ahead of their time.

Apart from the imaginers literary works are rife with the ones containing society’s involvement with the ideal and its outcomes. Their words give life to the ones who cannot speak for themselves, who have accepted monotony of life as their true life. The writers and poets represent life and nature. Many authors and poets have portrayed the various facets of life and its intricacies. A literary man is a product of the society, he is a representative of them as they are of him. These authors portray themselves as well as their surroundings brilliantly.

Examples of this representation can be seen in the works of Chaucer, a representative poet of the 14th century and often called the father of English literature. His works depict the prevalent conditions of that era, the social norms and culture experienced by the masses. Similarly Charles Dickens was another proponent of depicting social as well as economic conditions prevalent at the time. He described the horrors of Industrialization and how it ripped apart the fabric of society and made it more lonesome, frustrated and overall embroiled in a spiritual crisis.

In a similar wane, Anita Desai’s novels brilliantly exposes the problems of human psyche. Her writings explore issues such as alienation, illusion, fantasies, dreams, fears and more. Another proponent of depicting human psychological issues is Albert Camus. All these issues which were highlighted in various literary in various literary forms bode well for the “literature is a realist phenomenon” club. As the authors’ work may seem individual, but their work always have a tincture of society’s influence in them and that can never be achieved by maintaining idealism.

The writers and poets may revel in individualistic tendencies, but their inspiration has and always will be nature. Even to create a utopia or dystopia, a careful observation of the world we reside in is a necessity. So even in the author’s extreme idealistic tendencies, we can find that the foundation is based on realistic principles of society. Thus an author can never be viewed in separation from the world he lives in. Even in nihilistic works of Kafka where ascetic principles are propagated, and in-depth analysis reveals the problems of the time and why the author was adamant of un-realistic principles.

Literature is a global phenomenon, although it may seem individualistic it sure does give us general heading of the society. It related to us on a general socio-political as well as the prevalent economic conditions. It is a treasure of knowledge that people can assimilate for the greater good of the general populace. Even in fiction works, we find ourselves life lessons that can be applied for centuries thereafter in the real world.

So why literature is often touted as being idealistic? The question has few strong supporting arguments which somehow misrepresent the world of literature. Frank Preston in his book “The real and ideal in literature” explains the components of art. The relevant portion to us are two; namely poetry and prose. He argues that poetry has always been a higher form of writing and prose can never match its elegance nor its fluidity. In other words prose is just conversation. The point here is that as mentioned but this critic “Poetry” is often earmarked as greatness. To achieve this greatness or mysticism about your work, you may well have to use juxtaposition and riddles and puzzles which may not bode well for a common man and hence the works being labeled as idealists’ playground.

The fascination of poets with the imaginary has always given weight age to the notion of literature being an idealist stronghold. However, imaginative or mystic it may be it always has an element of truth to itself. A message for the massed for a common cause. Their words become a rallying point for revolution.

Perhaps another problem as mentioned by Frank Preston is the ease of prose and novel writing. It is not coincidence that anyone with a unique imagination and little talent can piece out a good novel which gives the impression that literature is fiction. This is utterly a false notion, as literature is far-reaching and its influence is over-arching. The critics have also not been kind often to these works as they look at them in an anachronistic manner, not keeping in mind the society and factors that led to formulation of such writings in the first place.

Literature with its vast treasure has fascinated kings and ordinary meant alike. Today’s successful people dive into it whole heartedly for lessons aplenty. Even scientific discourse is happening through literature now, and to cap it all it will always be a source of entertainment for the masses. A relief from the long days’ work.

In the end, it is pertinent to note that from the above arguments, Literature is not the lonely planet of idealists. Yes some fictitious literature may make us wonder in this direction but it has plenty of traces of realism embedded in itself. It is the voice of the masses, an amalgamation of individual and society and the impending consequences. The ornamental nature of literature can not put away its true message, a message close the realms of realism.