Comparative Literature

Comparative Literature is the study of literature across languages, cultures, time periods, and genres as well as the study of the relationship between literature and other fields of knowledge. An essential feature of such study is the reading of texts in their original language(s) of composition. The study of Comparative Literature promotes an understanding of intercultural or cross-cultural relations and helps to foster a more international or cosmopolitan perspective of both literature and the world and, in turn, of one's own literature and culture.

A vital component of Comparative Literature today is the study of World Literature, specifically, the examination of how great works of literature uncover understudied relations and transnational connections between various cultures, languages, and artistic traditions across the globe. Such work often relies on translations. The study of World Literature promotes an understanding of the deep roots of today's intertwined global cultures and supports a critical position that aims to dismantle the presumed centrality and dominance of certain cultural views and perspectives over others.