QUALITIES OF A GREAT LITERATURE

• Universality

  • Appeals to the hearts and minds of almost any reader and has the ability to cross gender, racial, and cultural barriers regardless of the time it’s written
  • Ex: The Little Prince
• Permanence

  • Determined by a  written work’s ability to stand the test of time, which makes it impossible to determine at the moment of writing
  • Novels that continue to be read over and over again across decades
  • Ex: Harry Potter
• Artistry

  • Aesthetically appealing and reveals or convey hidden truth and beauty
  • Possesses a sense of beauty in the writing that could even feel poetic
  • Balance of form and content
  • Word choice and organization
  • Ex: The Quiet Word, On Politics and Poetry
• Suggestiveness

  • Allows the work to inspire and provoke thoughts and understanding beyond the actual word written on the page
  • Reading between the lines
  • Unravels man’s emotional paper to define symbolism, nuances, implied meanings, images, and messages
  • Subtlety of literature
  • Ex: El Filibusterismo
• Intellectual Value

  • Promotes critical thinking that enhances both abstract and reason-based thought processes and makes readers focus on the fundamental truths of life and nature
  • Makes the reader think and question their stance/perspective
  • A text can be interpreted in many ways
• Spiritual Value

  • Lifts the inner spirit and soul and has the power to motivate and inspire readers
  • Typically draws on the suggested lessons and moral codes of society depicted in various literary genres
  • Makes the reader reflect
  • Impact of the text
• Style

  • Refers to the distinct way the author expresses his/her/their thoughts
  • Words can be used in unique, creative, and entertaining ways to make the work memorable