Canon - Academic Mode

Definition of Canon
Derived from the Greek term "canon", canon means "a yardstick" or "a measuring stick". In general, the term canon has three different meanings.

First, it is defined as the traditional collection of scriptures against which other scriptures are judged. In other words, it means "a long list of works that are considered authentic". For example the Bible - in both Hebrew and translated form. This sense of the term makes the canon opposite to "Apocrypha", which means "written works with anonymous authors". The Bible has been viewed as a yardstick for evaluating other literary pieces by a certain criterion.

Second, literature students use it to refer to the scriptures contained in anthologies or textbooks of certain genres, and are therefore rated according to the genre under which they are listed This meaning covers all literature that is generally considered fit for aesthetic admiration and academic use.

The third definition of the term refers to the literary writings of a particular author that are generally considered by scholars and critics to be genuine creations of that particular author. This is based on some already derived rules that should apply to future pieces of the same genre. The term "canon" is also confused with the homonym "cannon", which means "a military weapon".

Difference between Canon and Apocrypha
Apocrypha is also a literary term meaning "hidden" or "anonymous literary pieces" believed not to have affirmed the rules set out in the written Bible in Hebrew or Latin. He describes those books that have dubious authorship or The Authority or where the accuracy of the authors is in question. However, canon is a literary rule that is used to evaluate books and writings against certain models, such as: B. Plays that are evaluated by Sophocles against Oedipus the king, whereby Oedipus the king is a benchmark who has set cannons for plays.

Examples of canons from literature
Example 1: The tales of the plowman (by Geoffrey Chaucer)
“In one Summer season when the sun was soft,
I dressed in a cloak when I was a shepherd
Habit like a hermit who is unholy in works,
And went far into the world to hear miracles.
But on a May morning on the hills of Malvern a fairy wonder filled me, I thought. “

Taken from The Plowman's Tale, these lines illustrate the third definition of the canon. For example, Chaucer's canon includes "The Canterbury Tales" but not the apocryphal work "The Plowman's Tale", which has been erroneously ascribed to him in the past. Canon is the use of archaic language that Chaucer used in his works but not used in this part.

Example 2: Authors Who Have Made Exceptional Contributions to Literature
In the history of literature, a number of authors and poets have made such extraordinary contributions that their literary works are seen as benchmarks for setting canons to evaluate other works The position of the literary canon, with which the subsequent writers compare their creations as a touchstone. For example:

Greek poet Homer
For the world, the Greek epics of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey have long been considered the most sublime examples of literature, but we have no idea if the popular and well-known author was a real person. Homer and the other writers he inspired have made their way onto the list of the greatest literary minds in the world since ancient times - only from After the literary cannons of writing.

English writer William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies for Elizabeth During the late However, in the 16th and early 17th centuries, Shakespeare's recognition of these works became the yardstick by which other writers could judge their place in literature. For many decades, English writers compared themselves to Shakespeare, and following the work of a writer in measuring literary excellence and success is in fact referred to as the "Shakespeare canon."

English novelist Jane Austen
Jane Austen is one of those writers who rose to fame by breaking all the traditional and conventional shackles. She wrote soft, smiling romance novels, such as Pride and Prejudice and Emma, set in England and making her love of marriage. As she used round characters in her novels, uniquely different from their counterparts, this became her style, and ultimately a canon against which other female writers would be evaluated.

Role of a
Canon The role of a canon has always generated confusion. Works, traditionally regarded as following a certain canon, belong to long-dead writers. Also, only white and male writers of old have been members of this exclusive club. Western writers steered clear of this kind of arbitrary practice for a long time, until they gained recognition from the Harlem Renaissance writers.40-440 Additionally, philosophical and political biases also led to disputes over literary canons. Therefore, various critical circles suggest that the idea of having specific royalties for specific genres should be abandoned. On the contrary, some other critics advocate the expansion of the canons by including the extended range of sampling to broaden the literary canons of the horizon.