Our ears had been the instruments for learning language and literature of many years before writing was invented. The oldest book in the world is the Rig Veda. Originally they were meant to be recited orally and to be heard. By constant repetition they came to be learnt by heart. Writing was invented long afterwards.

Literature multiplied itself with the discovery of writing. Paper and the printing press brought books within the reach of millions. The earliest library was the human memory containing, not printed books, but memorized literature. But who can carry in the head the millions of books which are available today? With the art of writing and printing our memory was set free.

The happiness of reading were now within the reach of million. Reading takes us out of by quickening our interest in the wonders of the world we live in. Stories, poems and songs have infinite variety. They remove the boredom and break the monotony of a humdrum life. They widen and enlarge our interests. They give to the mind a charter free as the winds. We make friends with plants, flowers, birds and beasts and other men, women and children who figure in the books we read. We even become familiar with fairies, genii, gods, goddesses and other magical beings.

We become citizens of the world when we read about strange lands and people. We travel not in space from place to place alone but even in time from age to age. All the ages of the world and of man’s life in the world and the wonders that would be. The future becomes an open book to us we read about the shape of things to come.

All literature and the entire wealth of literature cannot be created in oral .Without writing and reading, literary productions may have ended. Civilization itself may have come to an end, if there was no books. New lamps are lighted with the flames of old lamps. Books gives us eyes and ears and minds, to think and understand and hearts to feel and sympathize.

We may remember the pleasures which we receive from the style of writing and from the beauty of language. Words take wings, as if by magic, when they are used by a master of style. And then there is the music of words which finds an answering echo in our hearts, the sheer delight we get from the song-like quality of lyrical verse and prose.