The Structure of Identifying the Manifestations of Literariness: Esthetical Approach

According to the common sense, literature as a collection of literary works is considered as a conventional concept. However, in this regard, we face some questions like what distinguishes a literary text from a non-literary one? how is it possible for a heterogeneous collection of text to be included under the category of literature? what does the literariness of a text depend on? and how can we analyze the literariness? Such questions indicate that studying literature faces many challenges. In addition, lack of a well-structured approach to literature and its contents and concepts have resulted in a situation where scientific study and exegesis of literary works are not but a weak collection of research studies with instable criteria that do not facilitate the study of literature properly and fruitfully. Regarding the questions and the necessity mentioned, in the present paper, presenting a definition of literature, we intend to come up with the fundamental elements of literariness. Afterward, these elements shall be investigated and the manifestation of them in literary works shall be identified. In doing so, our approach to literary elements shall be aesthetical and they shall be studied from Aesthetical Experience Theory point of view. Finally, we shall deal with the outlets of the manifestation of these elements in literary texts in order to identify the organization governing such a phenomenon. The main intention of this study is exploring the recurring structure of the motifs in literary texts on the basis of a homogenous theoretical approach to literature.