Literary criticism is like looking deep at a story or poem to figure out what it really means. In simple words, literary criticism helps us detect hidden meanings, see different sides of stories.
It’s not just a reading but it also a digging deeper to learn how things like characters, plot, and words create the story’s big picture. The great thing about literary criticism is that it helps us see stories from different angles.
Some critics look at how a story is combined together. While others explore how history or the author’s life affects what is written. It’s like using special glasses to see in depth a story than what’s on the surface.
Characteristics of Literary Criticism
| Characteristics of Literary Criticism |
| 1. Analyzing and interpreting literature. |
| 2. Examining themes, styles, and meanings within texts. |
| 3. Exploring the historical and cultural context of literature. |
| 4. Using different theories to interpret and understand texts. & Focusing on the text itself, irrespective of the author’s background. |
Key Aspects of Literary Criticism
Interpretation:
A play, poem, or story’s actual meaning can be clarified by readers with the help of literary criticism. It examines deeper concepts such as themes, character actions, and symbolism.
In a poetry, for example, a rose may stand for more than just a flower; it might also symbolize beauty or love. Critics look for the true meaning of the author’s work.
Analysis:
To comprehend the writing style, this section involves dividing the material into smaller portions. Critics examine the story’s structure, terms, and the way the author uses words, sentences, and style to express meaning.
This makes it easier for readers to understand how the writing’s various elements come together to convey a message or feeling.
Evaluation:
Critics often share their views on the quality or importance of a work of literature. They consider the author’s abilities, the text’s emotional impact, and how it attracts readers.
They might wonder if this is an engaging tale. Does it have an effect? Is it unique or significant in the modern world?
Argumentation:
In addition to presenting their opinions, critics provide an extensive defense for them based on facts. They use passages from the book—such as phrases, events, or characters—to bolster their points of view in essays or articles.
Their objective is to use careful and logical argumentation to persuade readers of their viewpoint.
Purpose of Literary Criticism
To Understand Literature Better:
Literary criticism helps readers explore a book in more depth. It opens up new meanings and hidden layers that we might miss at first glance. It turns a simple reading into a more thoughtful experience.
To Encourage New Ideas and Perspectives:
Critics offer different ways of looking at a story. They may challenge common opinions and encourage readers to see things from a new point of view. This helps us grow as readers and thinkers.
To Keep Literature Important Over Time:
When critics study and talk about literature, they help keep stories alive. Even old books become meaningful for new generations when critics explain how they still relate to today’s world. This way, literature continues to grow and evolve.
Example of Literary Criticism in Action:
Consider a novel being read by a critic. They observe that the author often uses both light and dark imagery. According to the critic, darkness stands for fear and light for hope.
Additionally, they could discuss the main character’s evolution and what it reveals about human nature. If the novel discusses poverty or discrimination, the critic may examine how the tale and characters depict these topics.
They go on to discuss how each of these elements contributes to the novel’s strength and significance.
History Of New Criticism
Let’s go on a journey back in time to explore these changes and how they’ve affected the way people see and think about books and poems.
1. Classical and Medieval Criticism: Different thinkers like Plato and Aristotle thought deeply about stories. They focused on what stories taught us about being good.
In medieval times, people read stories for moral lessons and looked for deep hidden meanings that connected to religious beliefs. They believed stories were a way to teach different life lessons and show God’s messages.
Aristotle’s viewpoints revolved around the idea of “mimesis,” which suggested that art imitates life. He emphasized the importance of imitation and believed that literature should serve as a moral and ethical guide for society.
2. Renaissance Criticism: In the Renaissance, folks emerged about old Greek and Roman stories. Critics thought that storytelling should focus on people’s minds and ideas, valuing creativity and the beauty of words.
This time brought more attention to analyzing texts closely and bringing back old writing styles to better understand human experiences.
During the Renaissance, Francesco Petrarch (Petrarch) played an important role. Petrarch believed in the revival of classical literature and humanism.
His perspective emphasized the importance of individual expression and the value of ancient texts in shaping human mind and culture.
3. Baroque Criticism: The Baroque era loved fancy, elaborate styles in stories. Critics admired stories that were in detail, filled with emotions, and used beautiful language.
Writers tried to create stories that were dramatic, detailed, and full of vivid pictures in the minds of people. It was all about capturing big emotions and using impressive words. In the Baroque period, John Dryden emerged as an important figure.
Dryden advocated for clarity and harmony in writing. His perspective focused on the use of language to communicate effectively with the audience, focusing on elegance and accuracy in literary expression.
4. Enlightenment Period (1700s–1800s): During the Enlightenment, people questioned for logic and proof in everything. Critics started looking at stories using logic and focusing on what they taught society.
They wanted stories to make people smarter. This time valued reason over feelings and wanted stories to be useful for society’s progress.
The Enlightenment saw the rise of Alexander Pope as an important writer and critic. Pope believed in the power of reason or logic and the importance of clarity and rationality in literature.
His perspective emphasized the need for literature to educate and improve society through moral teachings.
5. 19th-Century Romantic Criticism: In the 1800s, things changed again with Romanticism. Critics focused on feelings, nature, and personal experiences in stories. They wanted stories that showed strong emotions and imagination.
Romantic writers liked talking about nature’s beauty, intense feelings, and individual thoughts. It was about expressing personal emotions and ideas.
During the Romantic period, William Wordsworth stood out with his views on nature and individualism. Wordsworth believed in the importance of emotions, personal experiences, and the beauty of nature in literature.
His perspective emphasized the expression of inner feelings or thoughts and the connection between humanity and the natural world.
New Criticism
The New Criticism is about looking at stories in a brand-new way. Let’s explore this important theory and why it matters so much in understanding literature.
The New Criticism, originated in the early 20th century, changed how people thought about stories. Instead of focusing on the author’s life or history, these critics focused on the text itself.
They looked closely at the words on the page, digging into the structure, style, and hidden meanings within the writing. They believed that a piece of writing should stand on its own without looking for any extra info about the author or historical background.
They focused on how every word, sentence, and metaphor worked together to create the whole story.
The New Criticism changed how people looked at literature. It encouraged readers to focus deep into the actual words of a piece rather than relying on outside meaning.
This approach led to a more objective analysis, making it easier to compare and appreciate different works from various writers and times.
Key Concepts Of New Criticism
One of the big ideas was “close reading.” Imagine putting on a focus and examining each word and punctuation mark. That’s what close reading was about , analyzing every small detail to understand how it contributed to the meaning of the text.
Another important thing was “Formalism.” This meant focusing on the structure, style, and literary devices used in the writing. New Critics focused on the things like rhyme, meter, imagery, and symbolism to unlock the hidden meanings hiding within the text.
The Legacy of the New Criticism
Although it was popular in the mid-20th century, the New Criticism’s impact is still felt today’s literature. It paved the way for other critical theories and approaches, setting the basic for the way literature is studied and understood.
Elements of close reading and formal analysis are still widely used in classrooms and discussions about books and poems.
In short, the New Criticism was a game-changer. By focusing on the text itself, it opened doors to new ways of understanding and appreciating literature. Its legacy continues to shape how we explore and interpret the fascinating world of written works.
Current State
Literary criticism, the way people examine and understand stories, has seen some cool changes recently. Let’s take a look at how things stand today in this world of studying books and poems.
1. Welcoming More Voices: In these days, literary criticism includes more voices and stories. Critics pay attention to diverse authors and backgrounds, focusing on stories from different cultures, genders, races, and identities.
This shift helps in understanding a wider range of experiences within literature.
2. Connecting Different Ideas: Critics today connect literature with other subjects like history, psychology, and culture.
They mix these different ideas to better understand how stories reflect real life and human experiences. This approach helps in seeing how literature fits into the bigger picture of the world.
3. New Ways of Looking at Stories: People studying literature have come up with new ways to analyze and understand texts.
There are various theories and ideas like postmodernism, postcolonialism, and others that provide different ways of looking at books and poems. These theories help in seeing stories from fresh angles and bringing out hidden meanings.
4. Technology’s Role: Technology has become a big part of studying literature. With digital tools, researchers can analyze lots of texts quickly, finding patterns and connections.
Plus, the internet and social media make it easier for more people to join discussions about books and poems online.
5. Exploring Different Cultures: Critics are more interested in stories from around the world. They’re digging into literature from different countries and languages, giving everyone a chance to learn about diverse cultures and their stories.
6. Staying Relevant and Flexible: In today’s fast-changing world, literary criticism keeps evolving. Critics are looking at current events and how they affect the stories being written.
This flexibility ensures that the study of literature stays meaningful and connected to what’s happening in the world.
So, in a nutshell, literary criticism today is about including more voices, connecting different ideas, and using new methods to explore and understand stories. It’s all about making literature more relatable, interesting, and reflective of the diverse world we live in.
Literary Criticism vs. Literary Theory
Literary theory and literary criticism are two distinct but connected ideas. Literary theory is an idea or concept that directs literary criticism, which is the study and critique of a literary work.
Consider literary theory as a lens through which critics can view a text in a particular way. It offers presumptions that influence a critic’s analysis of the text and aids in the classification of literary works into several categories.
Thus, literary theory serves as the basis, and literary criticism is the process by which that theory is used to evaluate a work of literature.
Literary theory offers a variety of viewpoints for text analysis and interpretation, including psychoanalysis, Marxism, and feminism.
It aids reviewers in comprehending a work’s underlying cultural settings, historical influences, and deeper meanings.
By using these theoretical frameworks, literary criticism becomes more focused and structured, allowing critics to explore texts in a variety of ways based on specific ideas and assumptions.
FAQs
Genre criticism theory examines how different types or genres of literature (like poetry, drama, fiction) have specific characteristics and how they influence readers’ perceptions and understanding.
Literary criticism as a genre involves analyzing and evaluating literary works, discussing their themes, techniques, and meanings, often through different theoretical perspectives.
1. Formalism: Focuses on the structure and literary devices of texts.
2. Historical Criticism: Examines literature in its historical context.
3. Reader-response Criticism: Explores how readers interpret and interact with texts based on their experiences.
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