There are several types of literature, each of which has its own characteristics. So, classical literature is understood as works that are considered exemplary for a particular era.
History of the term
Classical literature is a rather broad concept, since this type includes works of different eras and genres. These are generally recognized works that are considered exemplary for the era in which they were written. Many of them are included in the compulsory school curriculum.
The concept of classics in literature has developed in the last three centuries of the era of antiquity. Then it denoted certain writers who, for various reasons, were considered models and role models. One of the first such classics was the ancient Greek poet Homer, the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.
In the 5-8 centuries A. D. a list of authors of texts was formed who determined the theories and norms transmitted in the learning process. In different schools, this canon differed minimally. Gradually, this list was replenished with new names, among which were representatives of the pagan and Christian faiths. These authors became a cultural heritage of the public, which were imitated and quoted.
The modern meaning of the concept
During the Renaissance, European writers turned their attention to the authors of antiquity, as a result of the liberation of secular culture from the excessive pressure of the church. The result of this in literature was the era of classicism, in which it became fashionable to imitate ancient Greek playwrights such as Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and follow the canons of classical drama. Then the term "classical literature" in the narrow sense began to mean all ancient literature.
In a broad sense, any work that created a canon in its genre began to be called classic. For example, there are classics of the era of modernism, the era of romanticism, realism, etc. There is the concept of domestic and foreign, as well as world classics. So, recognized classics of Russian literature in Russia are A. S. Pushkin, F. M. Dostoevsky, etc.
As a rule, in the history of literature of different countries and nations there is a century in which literary literature found its greatest expression, and such a century is called classical. There is an opinion that a work gains public recognition when it carries "eternal values", something relevant for all times, encourages the reader to think about any common human problems. The classics remain in history and are contrasted with one-day works that eventually fade into oblivion.
