LITERARY STANDARDS

Writer William J. Long developed the seven literary standards used to determine if a
piece of writing is literary in 1909.
1. Universality
- Literature appeals to everyone, regardless of culture, race, gender, and time which are
all considered significant. This piece of writing appeals to the hearts and minds of
almost any reader.
2. Intellectual Value
- Literary works help us understand more about humanity and life, especially when it
talks about the past, present, or real-life situations that are actually happening in the
world. It stimulates the critical thinking of the readers which enriches their capacity of
abstract reasoning and making them realized the reality of life.
3. Spiritual Value
- Literature elevates the spirit and the soul through the moral messages that can
potentially move and make the reader a better person. This has the power to motivate
and inspire, drawn from the suggested morals or lessons of the different literary genres.
- IT typically draws on the suggested lessons and moral codes of society that are
depicted in various literary genres.
4. Style
- Literature presents peculiar ways on showing the readers a different perspective of life
that they have not considered. The words used in literature makes the whole work
entertaining and interesting.
5. Suggestiveness
- Readers are able to immerse themselves to the literary piece that they are reading
because of the suggestiveness of the book. It makes them visualize the symbols and
descriptions in the book and let the readers experience the world of the book. Literature
unravels and conjures man’s emotional power which engaged them into the story.
- The power of suggestion allows the work to inspire and provoke thoughts and
understanding beyond the actual words written on the page.
6. Permanence
- An important feature of great literature is that it endures time. There are classic
literatures that are still enjoyed until today. Many novels enjoy initial popularity but
ultimately fade into obscurity with time, failing the permanence test.
- Timeliness – occurring at a particular time
- Timelessness – remaining invariable throughout time.
7. Artistry
- Literature has an aesthetic appeal and thus possesses a sense of beauty. A well-
written book with beautifully crafted phrases and sentences are memorized by many
readers. The beauty in the writing could feel poetic.