"...through which great works of literature are bastardised."

Beautifully put.

Yes, it is true that language is "evolving" and I'm sure the ability to SMS/blog/email will become more and more important in the future.

However, I think it is just as important to be able to read the great works of literature and understand what they are actually saying. It's like talking to Grandpa. You might not want to use his language day to day, but you want to be able to understand it enough that you can actually learn something from him.

Literature is such a powerful way of teaching history. Remember, we must learn from history in order to not repeat it.

I remember one high school I attended that would study literary works in English of the same period/culture that was being studied in history. They worked beautifully together.

Also, this is hilarious. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/52061 "Girl Moved To Tears By Of Mice And Men Cliffs Notes"

P.S. I apologise for my poor grammar and the random structure of my ideas in this post :)

The transformation of language can cut both ways.

There is of course, the degradation that takes place over time - the use of simplified language in text messages and blogs, and the general laziness of some writers.

But on the other hand, there are certain groups out there who seek to obfuscate - whether they are making their profession seem more specialised than it really is or simply want to sound pompous, they are often guilty of making the language a complex ordeal.

Take legalese for example. How often are fairly simple findings made much more complex than necessary?

Or certain areas of academia. Sentences can become these horribly tangled pieces of jargon with little purpose except to befuddle, confuse and occasionally enrage.

These perpetrators are just as guilty as the lazy ones, but they're doing it with intent. Beautiful prose isn't necessarily complex - I would argue that excessive complexity actually gets in the way.

Svete Mdodan

Bhilsult

Ktieh Klnlneey