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Michael Perry

ENG 303 (87229)

Dr. Moulton

22 October, 2014

Transcending the Differences of Time

In a day and age where we can fly around the world in a day, make prosthetic limbs for

people, and can connect to anyone in the world with a few clicks of a button, it might seem that

classical literature is out of touch with modern times. However, nothing could be farther to the

truth. While social hierarchy and technological advances may make our world seem alien to

someone from ancient times, there are constants that surpass anything that time can change.

Classic literature holds similarities that we can connect to with the emotions portrayed in the

stories and the themes and elements present in the story. In addition, it is relevant to today in the

fact that it serves as the origin for all modern literature.

One major constant is emotions. While values and society may change, our emotions are

a primal thing that span time. No matter what literature you read, there will always be a

connection to the emotional state of the characters. Everyone has experienced joy, love, anger,

sadness, and jealousy, and these and more can be felt from the characters in classical literature.

From viewing the emotions of the characters in classical literature, it is easy to see how literature

can span decades, centuries, or millennia, which allows us to form a connection with the

literature of that time.

However, connecting with emotions is only the surface of what classical literature has to

offer. While classic literature is indeed far-removed in time from our present, it is not so different

when looked at in terms of its themes and elements. Morals have little changed from ancient
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times; the main difference is when and to whom the morals apply. For example, many of the

morals of ancient Greece and Rome would not be applicable towards certain individuals who

were considered less or did not have the same rights as others, such as slaves and women (11).

However, if we were to read about political unrest, economic hardship, war, murder, salvation,

abandonment, acceptance, or any other similar theme, their relevance would not be diminished

by the year they were written. All of these themes are present in our time and are relevant, even

if discussed in an unfamiliar setting. While it is possible to study the same elements in current

literature, there are many things that will distract us.

Classical literature is the foundation for what literature has become today. Classical

literature shaped the way that our writing would develop, including poetry, philosophy,

mathematics and the sciences. Classical philosophy is still used in philosophy classes today, as

the questions it raises transcend the differences between our cultures and societies. In addition,

stories like “The Odyssey” and writings of the gods are a basis for the first types of fantasy

stories with events that seem fantastical to us now.

Some people think that classical literature is outdated and is not relevant to us today; that

is not the case. Through studying the classics we can gain a better understanding of literature

while also learning of the foundations of multiple subjects which are still in practice today. In

addition, themes and elements in a story do not diminish in relativity simply because they were

written in a different age. Studying classical literature also takes away the clutter of technology

and our societal constraints within our current literature and allow us to look at the themes and

elements that transcend the differences of time.

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Works Cited

Puncher, Martin, et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. New York: W.W. Norton

& Company, 2012. Print.