Defining Literature and Civilization

I recently asked a few people what their definitions for literature and civilization are.  I was surprised to find that their definitions were all very different from one another, and I realized just how broad and vague these two terms are.  The terms can be interpreted to have very different meanings, and they are not as easily defined as other words in the English language.  Here's what my participants defined literature and civilization as:

Literature:

• "Books and any type of formal writing."
• "Anything that tells a story."
• "A form of creative writing."

Civilization:

• "A common gathering of a group of people."
• "A community of people."
• "A society that interacts with each other."