Why Classic Literature Wins Over Modern Literature Every Time

While classic literature might seem outdated, you can be amazed at the insights, and ideals that it can instill in us. Which by the way, some of them don`t even exist in modern literature anymore. I dare not say that all of the books written in the modern era are not worth reading, however, they are to be blamed for a few superficial plots and dialogues. 

First Things First, Let’s Explore the Term ‘Classics’

Classic literature is the term used to describe the high quality of a writer’s work. It is also used to express something so pure and worth remembering. To me, in classic literature books, you`ll find tragic love, passion, hatred, and education, explained in a complex and unique way, but oh so wonderfully written. Somehow you create this bonding or emotional connection between the classic works and this bonding remains there for the rest of your life. Novels such as Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, Animal Farm, and Pride and Prejudice are all part of classic literature, which is not quite easy to read. They captivate your interest immediately, right? 

Studying History Suddenly Becomes Exciting

While you gain more knowledge of history, the plot becomes way more interesting with vibrant characters. Novels can capture time periods and harsh realities in a certain time period. This leads us to the famous George Orwell’s 1984. This is an allegory, where we took the famous saying “Big Brother is watching you” from. This is the tale of a government that keeps on 24-hours surveillance to keep civilians in line. Through this novel, the writer shows his experience with the war and authoritarian governments back in the 40s. 

Through history, we can make an analogy between human history back then and now. The life lessons, the good and the bad deeds through which they help us shape our personality. Not everything can be historically accurate, but at least we`ll get to ‘taste’ what life used to be like. 

Now, of course, that the English teacher in me will advise you to read classic novels to improve your vocabulary and writing. Shakespeare is known for creating new words and he enriched our vocabulary quite a lot. Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are literature gems containing words from Old English and grammar that are now used in everyday language. 

And, Oh the Choice of Words 

Considering how nowadays people out there only want clear, concise, and simple content, classic literature may be a game changer if you’re not used to it. Here`s just an example of how poetic and rich in vocabulary just one of Shakespeare’s sonnets is . 

    Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Lastly, through classic literature, we get to dig a little deeper into the lives and mindsets of the people that we have never met and at the same time understand their way of living at periods of time that right now sound so bizarre to us. Their experiences will never be ours, but we still get to enjoy glimpses of their most intimate moments. How amazing is that? 

Photo: Dean Drobot/Shutterstock 

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