There is certainly no doubt that English Honours is one of the most preferable choices among students who plan to pursue their bachelors degree after Class 12. The students doing this course are often seen as some sort of ‘elites’ by other students. Most students choose to embark upon this course just because they score good marks in this subject in their boards, without realizing how different and complicated the curriculum is in college.
A misconception that exists in the mind of students is that they will be taught language, just like they were taught in school. However, the course consists of literature, which includes various types of poetry, prose, novels, drama, tragedies, etc. Students find it challenging to interpret these texts because they have to decipher these subjects deeply and go beyond the surface level meaning of the narrative, which requires a lot of effort and critical analysis.
Apart from the main books, students are also expected to read other sources which help them to understand their texts more properly, such as the background, the context, author details, critical essays, just to name a few. They sometimes have to state their own perspective on several issues as well.
Students also get to study about the different periods of literature, such as the Dark Ages, Elizabethan Age, Renaissance Period, Jacobean Period, Romantic Period, Victorian Period, Modern Period, etc. which helps them to understand and analyse how literature and writing have evolved with time.
Sounds cliché but literature is truly an art which throws light on several contemporary topics through the medium of theories, such as feminism, misogyny, nepotism, caste, gender, love, etc. which are important to understand in today’s world just as they were during the time when these classic texts were written.
Literature combines elements from different fields and subjects, be it History, Philosophy, Psychology, Geography, etc through the use of various genres to give the readers something special to enjoy that they will contemplate upon and relate to in different ways.
Thus, one should pursue this glorified course if they are passionate about reading and enjoy critical thinking a lot. Those who read just for leisure and to derive pleasure might struggle to appreciate the beauty of this course.
