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to me, classical music is the model for what makes a "classic".

it had a strict rigid form, very rational, and within that, was able to produce extremely creative works.

so to me it seems to be a combination of rational form, and high creativity.

now, Tolkein's world was very highly formed, it had a remarkable history, geography, language, mythology, ethnography, a complete world beyond the scope of any other fictional creation. that should make it a classic right there, and then with interesting plots and characters and dramatic tension added, it surely qualifies.

Jane Austen is another good example, as you mention; she was very austere in her presentation, subtle, nuanced, yet flawless in her depiction of society and the people it warps.

i personally do not feel Harry Potter qualifies.

it is amusing, and i have bought every installment, but it is just a young adult serial when all is said and done.

there are too many sudden twists and turns, too many rabbits pulled out of the hat, too many loose ends not picked up.

sorry.

Well, "classical" itself is generally just a term used to denote "old." Now, that alone says something, as most works of art don't survive past obscurity and into contemporary times. Real classical music comes to us from hundreds of years ago, so any modern "classical" music is really just a misnomer.

As for texts, I would hardly consider Tolkein's works "classical." Pride and Prejudice I would say yes, since it's so old (more than a hundred years and still going!). Tolkein's work is getting there, but there's still people who haev outlived the book, so I'll wait a bit.

Now, texts that are without a doubt "classical" in every sense of the word would include things like the Bible, the Torah, the Qu'ran, Journey to the West, Tao te Ching, the Buddhist Scriptures, the Odessey, Beowulf, the Illiad, the Magna Carta, etc and on and on. Shakespeare's plays, the Histories of Longinus, and other works that have stood the test of time, and are still being talked about centuries and millenia later. *Those* are the true classics.