How did anas ibn malik died

Anas ibn malik son

The literary canon has long been upheld as an exclusive list where the best classics go to be celebrated and revered for eternity. Admission to the canon is basically like being granted sainthood for books, after all. But what exactly is this mysterious canon, and who decides what makes the list? Is there even an actual list? To be considered part of the canon, a book has to be more than just great and able to withstand the test of time; it has to be considered essential.

The term itself is derived from an ancient Greek word for a measuring rod, or standard. Therefore, books that are deemed worthy of entering the canon are considered standards by which all other works are measured. So, we can say that the canon is subjective and determined by a select few, and while controversies do arise more on that later , many decisions are obvious.

The literary canon includes writers from ancient times, all the way through the late-twentieth century. You can find a partial version of that list here. Think back to your high school or college days: there was probably and American Lit class, where you studied the works of Hawthorne, Twain, and Fitzgerald; a World Lit class, where you were introduced to writers from Europe or South America; and any number of other niche courses, where you may have studied a specific time period, literary theme, or movement.

Many of the educators who helped select works for those early textbooks were also clergymen—usually older, almost always white, clergymen. None of this is to say that white male authors need to be removed from the canon, but that our idea of what constitutes the canon needs to be updated and expanded. Some expansion and reassessment did take place in the twentieth century, and authors like Toni Morrison are now regularly taught in high school literature classes and considered part of the canon, but there is still a long way to go if we want our notion of classic, essential works to reflect the vast diversity of great literature that is produced each year.

What do you think of the literary canon? Share your thoughts in the comments below! As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike.