When somebody has studied English Literature at the Graduation level, it could mean he or she has a certain interest in the study of English. We see many people talking about communication skills in English which will put you on the highway to success, but really; Is proficient communication possible without the study of the Literature of that language?
A student of Literature is expected to have a reasonable awareness of the writers, genres , the literary trends, the different ages and the movements in the growth and development of English Literature. Some of the books which helped me acquire a better understanding of the various concepts were : WH Hudson’s An introduction to English Literature, A Glossary of Literary terms by MH Abrams, Maurice Bowra’s The Romantic imagination, Macmillan’s compilation of the English critical tradition in two volumes , Walter Allen’s The English novel, Terry Eagleton’ How to read Literature and MS Nagarajan’ English Literary criticism and theory. I also referenced frequently Routledge’s History of English Literature.