Which is the truer measure of literary greatness? Its capacity to teach a profound lesson or its aesthetic and emotional resonance?
Debate Report: Aesthetic Value vs. Didactic Value of Literature
29th August 2026 | I MA English Class
#todayinclass #classactivity
The Official Transcriber [Rapporteur]: Ms. Andrea Bettina
Official Photographer: Ms. Bhavatharne
Time-Keeper: Ms. Terese
Group Leader for Team Nightingales: Ms. Glynis
Group Leader for Team Metamorphosis: Ms. Meenal
The debate happened on 29/08/2026 in the I MA English classroom. It was between Team Nightingales, headed by Glynis, who supported Herrick’s view of literature’s aesthetic value as therapy, and Team Metamorphosis, headed by Meenal, who supported Herbert’s view of literature’s didactic value as transformation.
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The debate started with Team Metamorphosis. Meenal noted that transformation is essential in literature because it always addresses the crisis found in reality. This crisis could be of any social or political background and is always present in daily life. She noted how speaking is also a form of art and how the Jantar Mantar rebellion infused art form to voice out the crisis. She pointed out how the conventions that govern us are not true. For instance, in “Of Parents and Children” by Francis Bacon, he says how children are by you, not for you!, pointing out to self-individualistic expression.
Team Nightingales started out with Glynis’s enforcement of “Art for art’s sake.” She mentioned how art can be politicised, but it all began through escapism, which was a form of self-expression. For instance, cave art, wall art, music, etc. arose as a sense of community where one could communicate about his own life and immortalize art itself. She concluded with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee,” enforcing the immortality of art as a form of escapism.
Kavin from Team Metamorphosis mentioned how art has the potential to transform. It is, in fact, a need, and if the potential is not exercised, the utility is lost. He also mentioned how the potential has an impact on society.
Gishma from Team Nightingales quoted William Wordsworth’s “Daffodils,” where the poet wants to escape the world. She mentioned how humans are always in need of connections.
Ashna Elizabeth from Team Metamorphosis critiqued how the aesthetic value does not really reflect life. She beautifully described the harsh cruelty of life and spoke about how life is unfair and not always sunshine, rain, and rainbow.
Veena from Team Nightingales once again defended the team using the life of Sylvia Plath as an example. She mentioned how her poems are not just transformative, but rather a liberative tool used to vent out her expression. The poems are, in fact, her own way to express her own feelings. She also quoted Robert Frost’s criticism on how he tells the readers not to dwell in the poem and impose the ideas but rather enjoy the momentary peace that it gives. She mentioned Frost’s question to the critics, “Why change the original poet’s interpretation and enforce theories on it?”
Ashna Elizabeth from Team Metamorphosis opposed the example of Sylvia Plath and mentioned how therapy rose only because of a crisis. She once again enforced how crisis is the major component through which art grew.
The Nightingales’ team leader, Glynis, defended the team by saying that before transformation, expression has to happen. And enforced the existence of art as its own utility.
The Metamorphosis’ team leader, Meenal, rose to defend her team again. She once again pointed out how expression can come only through crisis. It is only through crisis that communities mingled to create various literary forms like Black literature, Dalit literature, Indigenous literature, etc. The liberative tool is thereby a form to transform. She gave the opposition a reality hit by pointing out to how the entire class wouldn’t be studying literature if we were only meant to enjoy it.
Ashna from Team Nightingales mentioned the need for expression through art, which only gave rise to various literature such as feminism and post-colonialism, which in turn led to the rise of complex theories.
Blessy from Team Metamorphosis pointed out how literature has a permanency in the world. She strongly enforced the rise of therapy only through the existence of crisis in society by pointing out to Matthew Arnold.
Alena from Team Nightingales mentioned an example from the novel “WarD,” where a patient hesitates to talk to the doctors, but when the topic was on books, he decides to open up. She justifies as to how art can influence expression and pointed out to art acting as a connecting bridge between the patient and the doctor.
Gladia from Team Metamorphosis mentioned Romantic literature, which was the pioneer of expression serving a didactic purpose. Because the authors mention nature, which could be highly interpreted in an eco-critical lens.
Jeffy from Team Nightingales mentioned how art acts as a tool to preserve whatever one overcame in life. For instance, Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” not only expressed her own feelings but also influenced many others to get inspired by her and overcome whatever they are going through in life. It thereby acts as a liminal instinct and encourages others to move forward in life.
Blessy from Team Metamorphosis opposed the view on Maya Angelou and mentioned how the teaching of how people suffer and how people must be confident is itself didactic. Thereby, the sense of community is in favor of the transformative power. She mentioned how the novel “WarD” too enforces transformation.
Ruth from Team Nightingales defended the team, saying that before there is a transformation in society, there is a need for art to transform ourselves. This transformation happens through expression. She mentioned a novel “Silent Patient,” where the patient, who is a murderer, pours out the guilt through drawings on paper which cannot be comprehended by society.
Gracelin from Team Metamorphosis mentioned the need to identify the crisis in society for the betterment of both the individual and society. Novels themselves arise only because the author is aware of whatever happens in society.
Fiona from Team Nightingales mentioned how awareness alone doesn’t make the person experience what one has gone through. It is the expression that creates the experience. She points out to the African slaves who used various forms of music like Blues and Jazz as a way of escapism to escape the unjust world. Glynis added to the defense and mentioned how Romantic poets added to the beauty of self-expression. She questioned the opposition team with the term “I love you!” She questioned if they would take up the capitalistic terms of ‘I’ and ‘you’ from the phrase and theorize it or just feel it and interpret her love for them.
Briana from Team Metamorphosis pointed out how self-expression can be simply selfish if everyone only cares about their own feelings without giving heed to the crisis encircling them. She questions how one can experience reality and points to how literature is a blend of both expression and reality.
Jeffy from Team Nightingales rose with a generic question as to why people visit movie theatres. Isn’t it for the sense of escapism from reality? She mentioned how art is essential to preserve memories and happy moments.
Metamorphosis’ team leader, Meenal, rose in defence, saying we watch movies only because we feel a deep connection towards them. She brought in a philosophical point of view, questioning, “What is the purpose of our life?” and mentioned the professor’s question, “What is your contribution to society?” She argued that the purpose is not for ourselves but for a greater use. And she pointed out to the expression “I love you” and said that it is theory that helped us to view the expression as a form of love towards fellow classmates, friends, and family rather than the monotonous romantic idea of romantic relationships.
Beulah from Team Nightingales concluded the debate by mentioning how therapy must happen before transformation. Because for the crisis to be resolved, it must first connect with oneself. She mentioned how Shakespeare attained popularity in his writings only because he understood human nature, that is, their needs and conditions.
The debate concluded with the professor’s appreciation to the class and his mention of how “the spirit of debate won!” He applauded the dissemination of good, valid points and appreciated the class for their efforts and contribution. Debate Report: Aesthetic Value vs. Didactic Value of Literature
As chronemics is an invaluable ethical aspect as part of the debating spirit, the inevitable constraints of time forced us to call it a day.
And... in a world increasingly dominated by the instant gratification of artificial intelligence - my students did something remarkable today! They set aside their ChatGPTs and Geminis, and chose instead the raw, and rugged process of thinking for themselves, thus reminding us that the beauty of literature - whether it heals like a nightingale’s song or transforms like a metamorphosis - lies in its ability to be debated, to be felt, and to be lived.
And today’s vibrant exchange of scholarly ideas is ample evidence to that!
A special word of appreciation to Ms. Andrea who meticulously documented the entire debate, and submitted it to me by the end of the day, as she had promised her professor. Kudos, Andrea.
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