Classical Literature – to Read or Not to Read?

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Michael Smith 1/8/13 Classical Literature – To Read or Not To Read? These days, classical literature, more and more, is being put on the shelf where all stories lost in time are put. It is being argued that classical literature is irrelevant in today’s world. Many say that the stories of the past are fairytales that aren’t worth our time. While not everyone holds this view, it does beg the question as to whether or not students today should be required to read the classic writings. I avow that it should be a requirement of the schools. This era of literature provides a window into an older time. It maintains a higher standard of writing. classic literature allows us to keep in contact with our heritage. Classical literature allows us to see into the past. We are able to glance at the daily lives of those who came before us. We are able to see where the interests and attentions of a society, past, lie. We can listen to the wisest of philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists. Reading classical literature, we can know the adventures and endeavors of the explorers that shaped what we now know of the world. We can read the stories, dreamt by candlelight, written by the most creative minds – minds such as Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Shakespeare, Chaucer, etc. The writings that some say we should throw out, encase many of the ideas that have helped to form our nation. Where would we be without those writings? The Classical literature also holds a higher standard for writing. Most often today, young adults have lost the ability to write a grammatically and-or correctly spelled paper. This is because the standards for writing have been lowered to lessen the amount of exertion required to write a paper. The writings of the past weren’t just some apathetic efforts at a paper. No, they were written with vigor. The authors would put their full emotions into the texts.

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