Most of the literary people, especially the students of English literature, think that religion is always at daggers drawn with literature.
They look down upon religion and presume that religion has divided humanity into different groups and categories and brought about division among the people of the world. They assert that literature and poetry can bring the people of the entire world to a single platform. They also argue that it is literature, not religion, that offers the best solution to the problem of humanity, and some of them go a step ahead by saying there is no God.
Here, i would like to give you a strange example of a professor who questioned the authenticity of Ph.D degree of another professor of English simply because the latter used to pray regularly.
Being the student of English literature, i want to try to dispel the misperception about religion nourished and propagated by some of the literary persons.
Religion is the most essential element of human being. In other words, and integral part of the human life. To quote a modern English poet of 20th century, Thomas Stearns Eliot "A man without religion is like a seed upon the air flying hither and thither finding no place for lodgement and germination".
In his poem, "The Hollow Men" he expressed a sincere dissatisfaction with the spiritual slackness of the dead" because of the moral degradation or lack of spiritualism.
Can people, having contradictory view about religion, deny the literary stature of T.S.Eliot? Another great classical poet of "Puritan Age" John Milton asserted the function of poetry as a medium for moral elevation and edification. He, in his famous poem "On and worship but only sees how we endure His mild yoke.
Can people, having contradictory view about religion, deny the literary stature of T.S.Eliot? Another great classical poet of "Puritan Age" John Milton asserted the function of poetry as a medium for moral elevation and edification. He, in his famous poem
John Milton was the son of well banker & from his inspiration religious thoughts, but could not eliminate the name of John Milton from English literature.
William Wordsworth was a great literary figure of 19th century who asserted that materialism and Industrial revolution took people away from God and religion.
These are the very few examples which testify that literature is never against religion.
Another point that literature brings unity among people of the world. Here, i would like to say that literature is the representation of age and society. No doubt, the message of all literatures is the same and universal, but a literary person can't escape himself from the spirit of his age.
Take the example of Shakespeare; no doubt, he is a universal poet and dramatist. His contribution is independent of time, place and age, but he could not escape his time. There are certain things in his plays which are no longer believed in the modern and scientific age.
For example, people at that time were superstitious. They believed in witches and ghosts. There is nothing in the Holy Quran, even after the lapse of 14th centuries, which is doubted or not applicable. It is the religion "Islam" that can bring unity provided implemented in its letter and spirit.
I do admit that there are some black sheep in every religion who exploit religion are under its guise and earn very name for the religion. They should be subjected to severe criticism rather than condemning religious principles.
What did Chaucer do in the 14th century? He criticized those religious people who deviated from the principles of religion. He never condemned religion. Keep in mind that literature is the creation of man's mind while religions are divine, free from flaws and errors. Man, in a society, wants recognition.
Sometimes desperately wishes to be admired, appreciated, and accepted as a great thinker and intellectual person. Some of the unfortunate adopt the most unwanted way of denouncing God and religion. Writing about Lenin, But when death drew near him, he mumbled to all those gods whom he had repudiated."
