Literature in Cyc refers to all works of literature, broadly construed. Thus it includes articles and essays, as well as novels and poems. There are three main assumptions that Cyc makes about all works of literature:

1. Works of literature are each conceptual works, specifically, "propositional conceptual works". They are abstract works constituted at least in part by propositional information (propositional information is information which has a truth value in some context).
2. Works of literature are textual, an abstract work whose propositional content is expressed, at least in substantial part, in text. Positive examples include novels, articles, resumes, and restaurant menus. Negative examples include episodes of a TV show. Works of literature may include non-textual components which expand on or otherwise contribute to the propositional content of the work, but the propositional content of the text could, alternatively, be expressed entirely in text.
3. Literature is assumed to be published. This means that the work has been produced for distribution, or is something which bears information which has been produced for distribution. Note that "published" here does not mean "printed and physically distributed", since intangible information-bearing things can be published using the World Wide Web, or broadcast on the airwaves.

Works of Art are physical objects that are a work, or a reproduction of a work, in one of the representational or plastic arts, such as a painting, sculpture, quilting, or stained glass composition. Works of art do not include plays, movies, music, performance art, or other activities. Works of art are considered to be a type of information-bearing object, but they need not have any propositional content. Examples include the Statue of Liberty, the Mona Lisa, a poster reproduction of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night', Rodin's 'Burghers of Calais', a piece of Ju ware from the Sung Dynasty, and the windows of Chartres Cathedral.