English is the study of prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and rhetoric, as well as the writing of these types of texts.
When attempting to determine what English truly is, it is important to remember that “English” appears in very many forms. It can be viewed as simply reading and writing, as a dialect, or in the academic sense, as a general field of study.
English is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “The West Germanic language of England, now widely used in many varieties throughout the world.” English does not of course mean, descending only from England in this sense, but instead, is a misnomer. English, in fact, has become a broad term used to describe British and American works of literature or any writing done in the English language. When people use the term English, in terms of scholarly work, they are usually referring to English literature.
English is obviously also a language, as in America we do not speak American. This dialect is shared with us by our British cousins who first contrived it and although the two languages have discernible differences, they are, on the whole, very similar. The same can be said about British and American literature as diction and overall style are the only main variances.
“English majors and minors study the historical development of literary and rhetorical traditions, of literatures written in English, as well as world and European literatures in English translation Students in the literature option read a wide range of literature from various cultures and historical periods. Students in the writing option also read a great deal of literature and study literary method, but focus their coursework on the writing of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.”
–Keene State College
This definition of English is obviously an academic one as it addresses English as a course of study. It infers that English is not only written but also spoken. It also brings up the interesting point that foreign works can be translated into English and, in that sense, they are then English texts. It also puts no cap on the culture or time periods which can be explored through English. Interestingly, this definition divides writing into three concise categories: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
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