Western literature

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Western literature refers to the literature of the Indo-European languages, as well as several languages geographically or historically related to the Indo-European languages (Basque, Hungarian, and so forth). Western literature is considered one of the defining elements of Western civilization.

The best of Western literature is considered to be the Western Canon. The list of works in the Western Canon varies according to the critic's opinions on Western culture and the relative importance of its defining characteristics.

Western literature includes literature in many languages; among the most important are English literature, French literature, German literature, Greek literature, Italian literature, Latin literature, Russian literature, Spanish literature. Please consult the separate entries for more specifics on literature in each language.