What is Literature? Answer of this question is not as simple as it seems. Different literary experts and authorities have defined this term differently. This could not be discussed here easily. We expect the visitors of this site would share their views, to publish on the pages of Sheen Web .com, in the best interest of students of literature, like me.
Literature is called as “ADAB” in Urdu, Persian, Pashto, Punjabi and all such languages having the meanings of Decorum, Discipline, Urbanism, Respect, Manners etc. In the light of these meanings of Adab, we could define the term, as every writing or piece of written material which follows the rules of discipline, respects, etc should be called literary writing and could be kept in the shelf of literature.
The English word literature is derived from a Latin word Littera, stands for the art of writing. Literature could be divided in two basic classes. First is called Fictional Literature and second is Non Fictional Literature.
Standard of writing is the base to differentiate good and bad literature. Critics reject the below standard written materials and they do no allow them to keep in the cell of good literature. Attractive and appealing way of writing created by the writer’s heart beating with a quality of penetrate in the heart of readers or listeners could be graded as good literature.