I would like to begin with the age-old phrase that no work of literature is a total waste or an entirely enfulgent spot in the passing line called history. Every book, in its own right, contributes something to the broader idea of literature. Moreover, there are the trend-setters and pole stars – Shakespeare, Sri Aurobindo, Leo Tolstoy, Whitman, Neruda, Achebe, Murakami, Mantel, and the list may go on for long. The meaningful or constructive contribution to the growth of literature by a book may be measured by pondering upon the impact beyond contemporary reception and the size of the readership induced by advertising machinery. What is the society left with after a book has vanished from the scene?
This opening thought paves the way for a broader deliberation on the philosophy of literature. Literary works, unlike ephemeral fashion trends or seasonal political slogans, often leave behind a residue that shapes intellectual currents, informs moral reasoning, and chisels cultural memory. While the immediate impact of a book may seem measurable in copies sold or awards received, the more actual metric lies in its sustained influence across time, geographies, and epistemologies. A book that silently reshapes a generation’s thought process without being visible in bestseller lists may carry more significance than a much-hyped title that fades after the fair.
The quoted thought above, shared by Dr. Alok Mishra on a special request along with other inputs in this article, mentioned in the further parts, countersigns the norm and nature of literature. Be it English literature, Hindi literature or literature in any other language of the world, we often perceive the value of a publication only after it has aged or even vanished from the popular stage.
The endurance of literary works lies in their capacity to transcend temporal boundaries. Consider the Mahābhārata or the Iliad, ancient texts that are not only cited as examples of classical literature but also as repositories of philosophical, ethical, and psychological insight. Vyasa’s epic, history or mythological may be another debate, is deeply existential in its reflection on dharma, free will, familial duty, and cosmic design. The Bhagavad Gita, situated within the Mahābhārata, continues to be read not just as a sacred scripture but as a profound literary dialogue between agency and submission, action and renunciation. These are not merely religious texts. They function as philosophical poetry and narrative epics, still prompting questions that find no easy resolution in contemporary times.
In the modern era, Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri stands as a monumental literary-spiritual edifice. Though often categorised narrowly as metaphysical poetry, it is indeed a confluence of history, mythology, science, philosophy, and visionary speculation. Aurobindo’s use of scientific metaphors, cells, plasma, optical energy, and engines of evolution illustrates that literary depth is not born in isolation from contemporary intellectual engagement. His synthesis of Vedic spirituality with modern consciousness studies anticipates many discussions found in posthumanist discourses today. Thus, literary contributions such as Savitri reinforce the idea that profound literature exists in multi-layered complexity, accessible to readers across academic, spiritual, and aesthetic orientations.
The list of ‘pole stars’ cited in the opening passage also merits attention. What do figures such as Shakespeare, Achebe, Neruda, or Murakami share in common? Perhaps it is the resonance they generate across boundaries of language, ethnicity, and ideology. Shakespeare, for example, although rooted in the Elizabethan age, has given to the world archetypes that remain enduringly relevant: the ambitious Macbeth, the brooding Hamlet, the tempestuous Lear. Each character serves as a mirror held up to human consciousness, a universal dramatisation of emotions, morality, and action. Likewise, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart continues to be studied not merely as postcolonial response literature but as a timeless critique of cultural arrogance, colonial oppression, and the fragility of civilisational constructs.
Equally vital is the role of literary works in shaping public consciousness, even when they operate within restricted readerships. Consider the works of Russian writer Andrei Platonov or the Indian novelist U. R. Ananthamurthy. These writers, though less globally celebrated, have contributed immensely to their respective linguistic and philosophical traditions. Their works pose essential questions about identity, suffering, modernity, and tradition. The absence of commercial success does not dilute their literary worth. Instead, it affirms the contention that the most accurate measure of literary success lies not in quantitative accolades but in qualitative transformation of thought.
The process by which literature induces transformation is often subtle. It works in metaphors, silences, narrative gaps, and symbolic frameworks. Readers imbibe the spirit of a book long after they have forgotten its plot. Who among us remembers all the pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude, yet few can deny the lasting aura that Márquez’s universe leaves behind? This is the alchemy of literature, its ability to shape inner worlds through imaginative contagion. When we read, we momentarily dissolve our identity into another, thereby cultivating empathy, plurality, and tolerance.
Literature, in its best form, is humanity’s finest rehearsal for becoming civilised. Juxtaposed with science that has a more direct impact on the external human realities, literature serves the soul and stirs a reformation from within. Literature offers us a glimpse into the future that could be better, a good past, and a present with problems we seldom wish to encounter. Like a faithful companion, literature reminds us of our follies and potential!
Dr Alok Mishra
Moreover, literature carries the responsibility of recording not just external history but also the emotional and moral chronicle of humanity. The poetry of the trenches during World War I, the Partition novels in Indian English literature, the slave narratives of African American writers, or the testimonial literature from Latin America, all these serve as secondary archives, repositories of pain and resilience, often more visceral and truthful than objective historiography. What historians capture in data, literature renders in the soul. And it is this difference that guarantees literature its irreplaceable place in the matrix of human understanding.
It is also pertinent to note that the spectrum of literary value should not be restricted to what is celebrated by academia or consecrated by the market. There exists a parallel canon, vernacular literature, oral traditions, and ephemeral self-published works that continually enrich the field of literature. The Bhakti poets in India, for instance, were once considered peripheral to classical Sanskrit literature. Yet today, the works of Surdas, Mirabai, or Tukaram are seen as vital expressions of devotional voices, mystic consciousness, and poetic innovation. Their inclusion into the broader literary discourse was not an act of generosity but a long-overdue recognition of literary genius outside hegemonic structures.
The destiny of literature does not lie merely in the decoration of language or the entertainment of the senses. It unfolds with a gravitas that speaks of humanity’s inner urge to make sense of its joys and tragedies, its hopes and despairs. When a writer pens a novel, a poem, or a play that dares to hold a mirror before society, it is not for transient praise or temporary applause. It is, instead, a sacred ritual of intellectual engagement. Every profound literary work is a bridge between what we are and what we may become, not just as individuals, but as a collective conscience. Thus, literature becomes the soul’s blueprint for the architecture of civilisation.
Dr. Alok Mishra
The digital age, with its flood of content and shifting metrics of literary engagement, presents a new challenge and opportunity. While the ephemeral nature of digital writing may dilute the profundity often associated with print literature, it also democratises the production and consumption of texts. Readers from varied socio-economic backgrounds are now part of literary conversations. Blogs, podcasts, Twitter fiction, and online zines have opened a new frontier where literary merit is not predicated on gatekeeping. Even if much of this material remains fleeting, it signals a reconfiguration of literary culture itself. The future critic may well have to ask: how does one trace the impact of a literary work when its life is measured in likes, shares, or hashtags?
At the same time, we must remain cautious. Not all that is accessible is meaningful, and not all that is obscure is profound. The discerning reader, critic, and scholar have to maintain a nuanced balance. The idea is not to discard innovation, but to preserve rigour. Literature cannot merely reflect the present. It must interpret it, complicate it, and at times, even oppose it. Only then can it live up to its historical vocation – to witness, to shape, and to transcend.
In conclusion, the endurance of a literary work cannot be foreseen solely at the moment of its publication. It’s afterlife, the echoes it leaves in minds, classrooms, streets, and personal journals, is what determines its contribution to literature. Some books may remain hidden treasures, awaiting their hour of recognition. Others may rise and fall with the tides of fashion. Yet all of them contribute, in their way, to the vibrant, contentious, and pluralistic world of literature. It is upon us – readers, critics, teachers, publishers – to ensure that our parameters of judgement are broad enough, our engagement deep enough, and our reverence honest enough, to appreciate literature not just as a product, but as a process of human becoming. Let me put the thoughts by Dr Mishra to end this article:
A book may fade from memory, but the values it sows endure like subterranean seeds awaiting seasons of revival. Not all books will become bestsellers, nor will every author find their way into curricula or canon. However, literature’s purpose transcends such material measures. The true triumph of any work lies in its ability to touch, however subtly, the eternal conversation between the self and the world. In the quiet, contemplative exchanges between reader and text, literature germinates its future. And in that solitude shared across generations, literature, unnoticed yet eternal, becomes the moral echo of time itself.
Dr. Alok Mishra
Dr Alok Mishra is the founder of English Literature Education, a platform offering new perspectives, quality and free study materials, and a means to connect and communicate with other scholars, professors and students of English literature around the world. He has also established well-known platforms like The Indian Authors, Indian Book Critics, Thoughtful Critics and English Literature Forum, along with many others. Dr Alok has done his PhD in English Literature, completed in 2025. His topic was “In Search of Roots: Indianness in Indian English Poetry”.
Communication, compilation, and essay by Madhav M for The Best Books.
Thanks for reading!
..
Very meaningful… literature is indeed a valuable addition to the most accessible luxuries we can afford. The best works of literature are the most worthy assets to be treasured, perused, transmitted to the next generation.