What was the essence of literature?
The essence of literature varies from person to person, but generally speaking, the essence of literature can be summarized as follows: 1. Emotional expression: Literature can express human emotions and experiences through describing the emotions, psychology, and experiences of characters. This kind of emotional expression could be profound, romantic, sad, happy, or abstract, symbolic, or metaphorical. 2. Depth of thought: Literature can explore the meaning of human existence, the nature of society, the truth of history, and the deep-seated problems of human nature to inspire readers to think. The depth of thought in literature could guide readers to look at problems from different angles and obtain new knowledge and understanding. 3. Art techniques: Literature can express emotions and thoughts through language, structure, plot, image, and other artistic techniques. These techniques could be described, narrated, symbolized, compared, etc. They could also be abstract, imagery, artistic conception, etc. 4. Cultural inheritance: Literature can record and inherit human culture, history, traditions, values, etc. as a part of culture. Literature is not only a literary form, but also a cultural symbol and expression that can influence and shape people's thoughts and behavior. The essence of literature lies in its comprehensive performance of emotions, thoughts, artistic techniques, and cultural values. It can help readers understand life, think about the world, and improve their quality. It has become an important part of human culture.