literature is a group of works of art made up of words. most are written, but some are passed on by word of mouth. literature usually means a work of poetry, theatre or narrative. there are many different kinds of literature, such as poetry, plays, or novels. they can also be put into groups through their language, historical period, origin, genre, and subject. the word "literature" comes from the latin word "literatura" (english: "learning", "writing", "grammar").