New Criticism

Definition

New Criticism is a formalist approach to literary analysis that emerged in the early to mid-20th century, focusing on the text itself as the primary source of meaning, rather than the author's intent or reader's response. This method emphasizes close reading, examining the structure, imagery, and language of a work to uncover its inherent meanings and themes. It has influenced various literary disciplines by prioritizing textual analysis over historical or biographical context.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. New Criticism became prominent in the 1940s and 1950s, largely due to the influence of critics like Cleanth Brooks and T.S. Eliot.
2. This approach rejects biographical and historical contexts, arguing that the text itself contains all necessary information for analysis.
3. New Critics believe that poetry should be treated as a self-contained object, where meaning arises from the interplay of its elements.
4. The method promotes objectivity in criticism by eliminating personal biases and focusing solely on textual evidence.
5. Critics of New Criticism argue that it overlooks the emotional and cultural contexts surrounding literature, limiting its scope.

Review Questions

• How does New Criticism redefine the role of a reader in literary analysis compared to previous approaches?
  • New Criticism shifts the focus from the reader's response and authorial intent to an objective analysis of the text itself. Readers are encouraged to engage in close reading, examining language and structure to derive meaning solely from the work. This contrasts with earlier approaches that considered external factors like historical context or author biography as integral to understanding literature.
• Evaluate how New Criticism relates to Aristotle's Poetics in terms of analyzing texts and determining their value.
  • Both New Criticism and Aristotle's Poetics emphasize the importance of structure in evaluating literature. Aristotle outlines elements such as plot, character, and theme as vital to understanding drama, paralleling how New Critics focus on these same aspects within texts. However, while Aristotle allows for some consideration of external context, New Criticism strictly confines its analysis to the text itself, promoting a more formalist approach.
• Synthesize the main critiques of New Criticism with modern adaptations of Classical Poetics to understand their impact on contemporary literary criticism.
  • Critics of New Criticism highlight its limitations in ignoring emotional and cultural contexts, which modern adaptations of Classical Poetics aim to incorporate. Contemporary literary criticism often blends formalist techniques with broader socio-political and historical analyses. This synthesis allows for a richer understanding of literature that honors both textual intricacies and external influences, reflecting a more holistic approach to literary studies today.

Related terms

Close Reading: A careful and detailed analysis of a literary text, focusing on the intricacies of language, structure, and meaning.

Formalist Criticism: A type of literary criticism that values the form and structure of a work, emphasizing how these elements contribute to its overall meaning.

Intentional Fallacy: The mistaken belief that a reader can infer an author's intent from their work, which New Critics argue should not influence interpretation.