How Classic Literature is Relevant Today

If you are given a choice between reading Jane Eyre and Hunger Games or Harry Potter, chances are that you will pick up the latter. We do not blame you for most of us believe that classic literature has no relevance in today’s world and everyday life. We are gullible to the fact that classics are at least a few hundred years old.

That said, today we are here to convince you that classics are and will be relevant for decades to come.

What is Classic Literature?

Classic literature are works of literature in any language that transcend time and culture to have notable excellence and universal appeal. They are widely recognized for its enduring value, timeless themes, and powerful footprint it has left behind in the literary world.

Classics are usually written in a formal style and often deal with profound human emotions like love, loss, grief, prejudice, and popular themes like good vs evil, coming of age, redemption, courage, and heroism which adds depth and layers to any story. Some great examples of classic literature include the works of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Roman and Greek tragedies.

But is classic literature relevant today?

It is heart-breaking to realise that classic literature is dying with not many people opting to read, study or do research about it. Don’t you think we should learn about the ancient societies, their culture, language, politics, circumstances and way of living to appreciate what we have today?

Let us see why Classic novels are still relevant.

Classic novels are or have become classics because of the impact they have made in literature. It has had a major influence in today’s art, theatre, film, and music. We have seen many adaptations of classic literature into books, movies, plays and operas.

Take Pride & Prejudice for example. We can think of at least five book adaptations and retellings of this timeless classic, namely, Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavours by Sonali Dev, Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, Pride & Papercuts by Staci Hart, Pride by Ibi Zoboi, and Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal. So, in many ways, classic literature has influenced modern literature.

It has also had a sway in the way we think or speak. Many common phrases and sayings that we use today have been adapted from classic literature. 

Let us give you some examples from Shakespeare. To be or not to be is from Hamlet; All’s well that ends well is from the play with the same title; A wild goose chase from Romeo and Juliet, To be in such a pickle is from The Tempest, Neither here nor there from Othello, For goodness’ sake from Henry VIII. We can go on and on with the list. These phrases and sentences have become so ingrained in our language that it is vital in our everyday communication.

Classic literature gives a deeper understanding of the different social, economic, and political settings from the past. Something like Wuthering Heights focused on class-structured society, the clash of social classes and economic interests, and patriarchy. Reading such novels enriches your experiences and gives you a new perspective on life in general. Classics broadens our understanding of how the world functioned. It also makes us more empathetic, humane, and open-minded of issues like silencing BIPOC voices and racism.

Let us conclude by saying that classic literature is very much relevant in the modern world. You must surely pick up a classic or at least a book that is fifty years old right away to uncover something new. If you do, let us know in the comments section which classics novel you have chosen and what you’ve learnt from it.