literaturën

Literature is the body of written works considered to have artistic or intellectual value. It encompasses poetry, prose, drama, and nonfiction, as well as oral traditions that have been transcribed and preserved. The term derives from Latin litteratura and reflects the central role of letters in culture.

Literature serves multiple functions: it preserves history and culture, records personal and collective experience, reflects social change, and challenges prevailing ideas. It also provides aesthetic experience and language development, and it can foster empathy across differences through imaginative worlds.

Forms and genres include poetry, novels, short stories, drama, essays, literary criticism, and biography. In contemporary practice, hybrid forms such as graphic novels, memoirs, and experimental prose expand what counts as literary work.

Historically, literary activity spans ancient civilizations, classical Greece and Rome, medieval and religious texts, the renaissance and print culture, and modern and contemporary movements. Global literature now circulates through translation, adoption of new media, and digital platforms.

In Albanian contexts, the definite form literaturën refers to the Albanian literature. Albanian literary tradition has roots in oral folklore and later developed through the 19th and 20th centuries during national awakening. Notable writers include Naim Frashëri, Gjergj Fishta, and Ismail Kadare, whose works have attained international recognition.

Literature remains a dynamic field shaped by readers, authors, editors, and societies, continually expanding through translation, cross-cultural exchange, and new expressive technologies.