Literature, as one writer has said, is “an eloquent artistic document, infinitely varied, of mankind's journey; the autobiography of the race's soul.” The questions we ask in studying literature are as “infinitely varied” as those asked by poets, playwrights and novelists: What does it mean to be human? How is the individual related to society? By what values should one lead his or her life?
The study of literature and language requires rigorous discipline and sensitivity, a strict adherence to the highest standards of logic, evidence and argumentation, as well as creative response to language and form. One learns to think, research and write critically, while simultaneously developing sensitivity to language and to the complexities of people and situations.
