Literary criticism the analysis of a literary text though various lenses that highlight authorial stance, purpose, and perspective. Among the various approaches to understanding literary worksformalist, biographical, psychological, gender strategiesthe historical approach is one of the oldest. Literary criticism requires students to study, evaluate, and interpret what they read a valuable tool for all students, not just those in an ap class. Hopefully, after reading through and working with the different literary theories, you will gain new ammunition in your battles of literary analysis.
Literary theory and schools of criticism introduction a very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. To enable us craft interpretative, yet scholarly judgments about literature. Introduction a very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. W45 1994 index to criticism on individual works arranged alphabetically first by author then by title.
Literary theory is an unavoidable part of studying literature and criticism. Each day in newport news public schools we focus on one mission. It begins creatively in order to catch your readers interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader for your major thesis. Readerresponse criticism introduction to literature. Thus, the objective of literary criticism is to determine the artistic values, poetic beauty, or the features being regarded as inadequate existing in the works of literature that in turn can help the writer or poet to improve the skills and ultimately the literary works could in this way attract and delight the readers. Marxist critics look at the role of class, ideology, and revolutionary thought as reflected in texts. Therefore, literature cannot give a reader any one single meaning, because the language itself is simply too ambiguous. Literary criticism meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Start studying schools of literary criticism and literary theory. A readers guide to contemporary literary theory 5th edition. The major schools of literary theory the analysis of a literary work, unlike that of a chemical compound or mathematical equation, often engages the subjective interpretation of the reader. Bennett and royle approach their subject by way of literary works themselves a poem by emily dickinson, a passage from shakespeare, a novel by salman rushdie, rather than by way of abstract theoretical ideas and isms. Second, literary criticism can help you in college by giving you more ways to respond to what you read.
Critically evaluate platos charges against poetry 2. Marx, engels and criticism 1 base and superstructure 3 literature and superstructure 8 literature and ideology 15 2 form and content 19 history and form 19 form and ideology 23 lukacs and literary form 25 goldmann and genetic structuralism 29 pierre macherey and decentred form 32 v. The underlying assumption in their analysis is that when choice is. Doing literary criticism waubonsie valley high school. Critical approaches to literature deconstruction is a school of literary criticism that suggests that language is not a stable entity, and that we can never exactly say what we mean. Norman holland, stanley fish, wolfgang iser, hansrobert jauss, roland barthes, louise rosenblatt, c. Research has moved from literary criticism to literary theory, which is not written for ready comprehension. Introduction to literary theory purdue writing lab. M25 1979 this 4volume set lists resources for the study of more than 2,500 works of western literature. Beginning in france in the 1950s, the structuralist movement in anthropology analyzed various cultural phenomena as general systems of signs and attempted to develop metalanguages of terms and concepts in which the different. The principle of the authors final redaction did not as such and by itself carry sufficient strength to oust eclectic editing on the basis of subjective choices grounded in taste and sensibility. This resource will help you begin the process of understanding literary theory and schools of criticism and how they are used in the academy. Engaging students with literature i admit, but before i assault students with works that i consider to be of merit, or even before i try to justify my approach to choosing works for study, i find it worthwhile to hear what the students themselves think our working definition of the term should be. We have examined many schools of literary criticism.
Many introductions to literary theory describe a series of schools of criticism. Literary criticism meaning in the cambridge english. Readerresponse suggests that the role of the reader is essential to the meaning of a text, for only in the reading experience does the literary work come alive. A goal of the advanced placement literature and composition test, which helps to make sure that students are truly college ready, is the careful reading and critical analysis of literature. An anthology, second edition edited by julie rivkin and michael ryan. For centuries, scholars, academics and critics have fought over. The nature and function of literary criticism prof. For centuries, scholars, academics and critics have fought over the terms and methods of literary analysis. Child nutrition services newport news public schools. But the critics eye is a rare gift, rarer than sainthood, housman thought, and matters have lately become more problematic. They both address ways of looking at literature beyond the typical plotthemecharactersetting studies.
First, literary criticism improves your general reading skills, giving you more tools to help solve problems of understanding as you read. An introduction, 25th anniversary edition terry eagleton a history of literary criticism. Pdf a critical overview of literary criticism in english. An introduction to literary criticism and theory before we begin our examination and study of literary theory, it is important that we define exactly what literary theory is and is not, identify some of the main characteristics of such, as well as identify some of the key differences between traditional literary. New criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated american literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. English literaturehistory and criticismtheory, etc. It is the total opposite of formalism and new criticism, textoriented theories in which dont take the readers role interpreting literary works into account.
Angloamerican new criticism was one of the most important movements in the twentieth century literary theories. There are many ways in which criticism may b e classified. Literary criticism is the study, analysis, and evaluation of imaginative literature. The major schools of literary theory student guide. For example, in mary wollstonecraft shelleys frankenstein. The blackwell guide to literary theory gregory castle literary theory. Click on document a history of literary criticism and theory from plato to the present m a r a r habib.
Part of the fun of reading good literature is looking for all its meanings and messages. No criticism of raman, of course indeed, that he could say this is to make. Literary theory and schools of criticism introduction. An introduction provides an accessible overview of major figures and movements in literary theory and criticism from antiquity to the twentyfirst century. Literary criticism began in 19th century europe among the bourgeois class, writes professor terry eagleton of the university of manchester. English literaturestudy and teaching highergreat britain. It is a type of cultural criticism that focuses on literary texts produced in places that were, at one time, under the influence of european read. Critical approaches to literature university of new mexico. An overview of approaches the threefold purpose of criticism. Magills bibliography of literary criticism ref pn523. Knowledge of literary terms and of literary history.
The primary function of literary criticism is to interpret literature in a way that will increase understanding, according to the english department of georgia perimeter college. Criticism is not fashionable, and has been replaced by literary theory in many university departments. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. A marxist critic grounds theory and practice on the economic and cultural theory of karl marx and friedrich engels, especially on the following.
Various types of literary analysis schoolworkhelper. Literary criticism helps the poet see his work as his readership will, honestly and from many viewpoints. What is the historical approach to literary criticism. Course hero has everything you need to master any concept and ace your next test from course notes, literary criticism study guides and expert tutors, available 247. But the theoretical movements that introductions identify such as structuralism, deconstruction, feminism, psychoanalysis, marxism, and new. The terms literary theory and critical theory refer to essentially the same fields of study. Postcolonial criticism postcolonial criticism is a new and emerging type of literary criticism. Nov 09, 2011 nature and function of literary criticism 1. Literary criticism is valuable for a number of reasons. Historical criticism seeks to interpret the work of literature through understanding the time and culture in which the work was written. Beginning in france in the 1950s, the structuralist movement in anthropology analyzed various cultural phenomena as general systems of signs and attempted to develop metalanguages of terms and concepts in which the. To help us sift between and resolve conflicting readings. New criticism theoretical underpinnings in a nutshell, new criticism. They are concerned more with the historical context than hidden meanings.
Such analysis may be based from a variety of critical approaches or movements, e. Introductiontoliteraturecriticismandtheorybyandrewbennett. Since ancient times, readers have debated and critiqued literature from a variety of perspectives. It emphasized close reading, particularly of poetry, to discover how a work of literature functioned as a selfcontained, selfreferential aesthetic object.
Literary criticism and theory university of calicut. Approaches to literary criticism literary criticism is the study, analysis, and evaluation of imaginative literature. Literary analysis is a critical response to a literary text in the form of a critical essay or an oral commentary. Even though they love literature, sometimes there are really some things that you must consider. It is designed for students at the undergraduate level or for others needing a broad synthesis of the long history of literary theory. The new criticism was the major literary critical movement of the middle of the twentieth century. Nnps is an awardwinning school system, the largest on the virginia peninsula.
Since people have written literature, critics have been interpreting it. Literary criticism is the informed analysis and evaluation of literature. Some have looked at a story or play from a moral stance, considering how values are represented in a text. Deconstruction deconstruction in literary studies britannica. Introduction to hayden white, university of california at. Theory is treated as a series of competing approaches, each with its theoretical positions and commitments. Kelley 16 literary history and historicism 338 david perkins 17 literature and the other arts 362 herbert lindenberger bibliography 387 index 448. Fry if this topic should seem either too piecemeal or too selfevident to include. Another critic might evaluate a poem in terms of its form. Deconstructions reception was coloured by its intellectual predecessors, most notably structuralism and new criticism.
Introduction to literature, criticism and theory provides a completely fresh and original introduction to literary studies. The dialog between socrates and two of his associates shows the participants of this discussion concluding that art must play a limited and very. Judge people as critics, however and youll condemn them all. Engaging students with literature i admit, but before i assault students with works that i consider to be of merit, or even before i try to justify my approach to choosing works for study, i find it worthwhile to hear what the students themselves think. Everyone who expresses an opinion about a book, a song, a play, or a movie is a critic, but not everyones opinion is based upon thought, reflection, analysis, or consistently articulated principles. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Read literary criticism of contemporary work and, if at all possible, of poems similar to your own, which will at least help you anticipate the reception likely from editors and workshop presentations. Contents foreword, by richard macksey vii preface xiii acknowledgments xvii the johns hopkins guide to literary theory and criticism.
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