Why Literature Matters Dana Gioia Analysis

Knowledge is Power

People often forget the importance of literature. They forget the good it can do for a depressed, lonely teenager. They forget not everybody knows how we came about this land, and what we had to do to keep it. Important excerpts such as the Bible or history books would not be known about if they were never written down or learned. Literature matters more than anybody realizes. Literature should be important because it is the mold of the world. Literary works keep people protected, mindful, and has many rewards.

Literature is important because it keeps people protected and out of trouble. In the article, “NEA Report shows that Steep Decline in American Reading Skills will Have Significant Long-Term Negative Effects on Essay”,

We are constantly thinking about things and trying to understand them. In the article, “Why Literature Matters” by Dana Gioia, he states, "It is probably no surprise that declining rates of literary reading coincide with declining levels of historical and political awareness among young people" (2). It is bad enough people aren't voting as much as they used to, which can help this country tremendously, but the people that do vote usually have no idea what is even going on. It seems most people vote based on what they have heard rather than actually doing research on what would be better for our nation. Researching only takes a short time to get the general idea of something and could change our world dramatically, but nobody ever wants to take the time anymore. Books contain information for us to learn about where we came from and the battles in the past to prevent them from happening again. The past events are the foundation of our civil society and our government. They help us learn what is going on presently and can help predict what will happen in the near

In the article”Narcissus Regards a Book,” Mark Edmundson states, "What has happened in the past is of correspondingly less interest... Those who represented the claims of the past should never have imagined that the apostles of newness would give them a fair hearing, or a fair rendering, either" (2). I see how some people might think readings of the past may be uninteresting. But I disagree that we shouldn't take heed to these wise warnings of the past. How does history have anything to do with literature? Well, writing these experiences down, the whole history book is a piece of literature. The former people have been through certain experiences and have written them down for a reason. Simply as a warning, to never be repeated or forgotten. The few people that do not care to read these excerpts because they are "uninteresting" will not be very successful at all. It explains how they would go into endless loops in their own lifetime, let alone centuries in the future. Most people have found the past writings have helped our country develop, and showed where we went wrong, as well as how to fix the problems. We are reminded of the hardships our ancestors have overcome, to learn from and prevent our mistakes from repeating. It is obvious that literature is our template of our country and it has great value to our