THE IMPULSES BEHIND LITERATURE

 THE IMPULSES BEHIND LITERATURE

Introduction

Literature does not arise without reason. It comes from deep forces inside human life. These forces are called impulses. Hudson explains that literature is born not only from the need to tell stories but from the desire to express feelings, share thoughts, and reflect on human experiences. These impulses are natural and timeless. In every age, people have felt the need to speak through songs, stories, poems, or plays. These creative urges give life to literature.

 

The Creative Impulse

The first and most powerful force behind literature is the creative impulse. This is the inner desire to make something beautiful. Humans are not satisfied with daily life alone. They want to imagine. They want to express emotions. The creative mind looks at the world and tries to recreate it in words. This impulse leads to the invention of new characters, places, and stories. Great poets and novelists follow this inner voice. They shape their feelings into forms that others can enjoy and understand.

 

The Emotional Impulse

Feelings have always moved people to write. Literature often begins in the heart. When someone feels joy, sorrow, love, fear, or anger deeply, they want to share it. Writing becomes a way to express emotions that are too strong to keep inside. For example, lyric poetry often comes from deep emotional experience. Even tragedies and war poems are full of emotional energy. Hudson notes that this emotional force gives literature its warmth and humanity. Without it, literature would be cold and lifeless.

 

The Reflective Impulse

Literature also comes from thought. Humans think about life. They ask questions. They wonder about truth, beauty, death, and the meaning of existence. This reflective impulse makes writers go deeper. They do not just tell stories. They try to understand life and explain it. Essays, philosophical poems, and novels full of ideas come from this urge. Writers like John Milton, Thomas Carlyle, and George Eliot write not just to entertain but to explore great questions. Literature then becomes a mirror of the human mind.

 

The Social and Moral Impulse

Another strong force behind literature is the wish to improve society. Writers see the problems around them—poverty, injustice, cruelty, and ignorance. They want to speak up. They want to awaken others. Hudson says many great writers have felt this moral duty. Charles Dickens wrote about poor children. George Bernard Shaw attacked social lies. These writers used literature as a tool for reform. The social impulse makes literature useful as well as beautiful. It helps build better values and a more just society.

 

The Imitative Impulse

Humans like to copy what they see. This is another natural force that leads to literature. A child imitates the sound of birds. A young writer may try to write like Shakespeare or Wordsworth. Hudson explains that many early works in literature were created by imitating older forms. Even great writers begin by learning the styles of others. Over time, this imitation turns into originality. This impulse also explains why different cultures share similar myths, stories, or poetic forms. People watch the world, then reflect it through language.

The Communicative Impulse

This is the wish to share experience. A person sees a sunset and wants to tell someone how beautiful it was. A traveler visits a new place and writes letters to describe it. A soldier comes home and writes about war. This communicative impulse leads to stories, memoirs, journals, and letters. Hudson emphasizes that communication is central to literature. It helps people connect. It bridges gaps between generations, cultures, and even centuries.

 

The Impulse for Fame and Legacy

Some writers are also driven by the hope of being remembered. They want to leave something behind. This impulse is not selfish—it is human. Many poets and authors have expressed the desire to live through their works. Shakespeare, in his sonnets, speaks of poetry as a way to defeat time. This impulse gives literature a timeless quality. Writers write for now—but also for the future. Their words carry their spirit across ages.

 

Conclusion

Literature does not come from one source. It comes from many deep, natural forces. The desire to create, to feel, to think, to reform, to imitate, to share, and to be remembered—all these impulses shape literature. Hudson’s chapters help us see that behind every great poem or story; there is a living force. These impulses explain why literature is so powerful. It speaks to something real in every human soul. And as long as these impulses exist, literature will continue to grow.


REFERENCE:

Hudson, William Henry. An Outline History of English Literature. Rupa

Publications India, 2015.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SONNET

  Sonnet – As a literary form   1. Introduction The sonnet is a short lyric poem of 14 lines , written in iambic pentameter . It is one of the most important poetic forms in English and European literature. The word “sonnet” comes from the Italian word sonetto , meaning “a little song.” This form allows the poet to express deep emotion, especially about love, beauty, nature, and time. Though it began in Italy, the sonnet became extremely popular in England, especially during the Elizabethan Age .   2. Origin and History The sonnet form began in 13th-century Italy . Its earliest and most famous practitioner was Francesco Petrarch . He wrote a sequence of love sonnets to his muse, Laura . His form, now called the Petrarchan sonnet , influenced all of Europe. In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey brought the form to England. They translated and adapted Petrarch’s sonnets into English. Later, William Shakespeare and Edmund Spen...
Read more

THE PURITAN AGE

  CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PURITAN AGE (1620–1660)   Introduction The Puritan Age in English literature refers to the period between 1620 and 1660. It was a time of deep political, religious, and social unrest in England. The age is named after the Puritans, a group of religious reformers who wanted to purify the Church of England. This period includes the rule of King Charles I, the English Civil War, the execution of the king, and the rise of Oliver Cromwell. It ends with the Restoration of Charles II. Literature during this time reflected the seriousness and struggles of the period. Writers focused on religious faith, moral values, and the duty of man toward God. The joyful spirit of the Elizabethan Age disappeared. In its place came a tone of seriousness, discipline, and introspection.   Religious Influence and Moral Purpose One of the most striking features of the Puritan Age is its religious character . Almost all the writing of this time was shaped by the B...
Read more

THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE NOVEL

    THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE NOVEL   Introduction The novel is a powerful and popular form of literature. It tells stories in prose and focuses on people, emotions, and events. But the novel did not exist from the beginning. It is a modern form compared to older forms like epic poetry and drama. William Henry Hudson, in his book An Introduction to the Study of Literature , gives a clear explanation of how the novel began and how it grew. His views help us understand why the novel became so important in modern literature. This essay discusses the origin and growth of the novel as presented by Hudson.  Early Roots and Literary Background The novel is one of the latest literary forms to develop. It came after poetry, ballads, epics, and drama. Long ago, people shared stories through oral traditions. These included tales of heroes, gods, and great battles. Slowly, these became written poems and plays. While the drama appeared earlier, the novel came later...
Read more