Defining Literature: Properties, Frameworks, and Functions

Two Strategies for Defining Literature00:00:00

Literature can be defined either by analyzing the inherent linguistic properties of a text or by examining the specific attitude and context that a reader brings to it.

Defining Through Text Properties00:00:49

Using Christian Morgenstern's 'Das ästhetische Wiesel' as an example, we see how literature can be identified through its intentional linguistic form, such as rhyme and meter, which draws attention to language itself (foregrounding).

Roman Jakobson’s Language Functions00:03:31

Roman Jakobson categorized language functions, including the 'poetic function,' which focuses on the message itself. This involves projecting principles of equivalence onto the axis of combination, often seen in puns or wordplay.

The Cooperative Principle and Institutional Context00:09:44

Literature operates under a highly protected 'cooperative principle.' Unlike everyday conversation, we assume literary texts have meaning even when they appear irrelevant, simply because they are presented within an institutional frame like a book.

The Role of Context: Readymades and Literature00:14:35

Similar to Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain,' placing non-literary text in a literary context (like Peter Handke’s inclusion of a football team list in a poetry book) forces a shift in reader perception and interpretation.

Functions of Literature00:17:38

Literature serves various societal roles, including generating fictional worlds (referential function), expressing emotions (expressive function), pursuing political agendas (appellative function), and providing aesthetic pleasure, stress relief, and amusement.