Name: Gujarati Krishna V
Roll no.: 20
Paper name:-3: Literary Theory &
criticism:
Topic name: What is criticism & terms of
criticism?
Submitted to:
Dilipsir Barad
Department of
English
M.k. University, Bhavnagar
Q. What is
criticism & terms of criticism?
Introduction:
“Criticism is the branch
of study concerned with defining,
classifying, expounding and evaluating works of literature.”
‘To criticize’, etymological, means ‘to analyze’, and latter
‘To judge’.Critical should be distinguished from criticism since it concepts
rather than works.it is a philosophical activity which should underlie
criticism but, again should not be regarded as part of it ‘Extrinsic criticism’
has been used for that criticism which relies heavily on information drawn from outside the
literary work, and is contrasted with an ‘nitric criticism’ which does not.
The distinction of ends, which marks off various kinds of meta
criticism, may be matched by a broad distinction of means: objective or subject
meta criticism can obviously attain objectivity more easily than criticism but
has to be based on the latter.
Various
types of Criticism
There are many types of criticism like……..
(1) Pragmatic Criticism
(2) ExpressiveCriticism
(3) ObjectiveCriticism
(4) Mimetic Criticism
(5) Practical Criticism
(6) Impressionistic Criticism
(7) Applied Criticism
(8) Deus Ex Machine
(9) Plot
(10)Character
(11) Diction
(12) Thought
(13) Song/melody
(14) Spectacle
(15) Tragedy
(16) Three Unities
(17) Tragic Hero
(18) Hamartia
(19) Catharsis
Lets us discuss one
by one……
(1) Pragmatic Criticism: Pragmatic criticism is concerned first leading, with ethical impact any
literary text has upon an audience. It
believe that dat. The works as something which is constructed in order to
achieved certain effects on the audience. Effect such as aesthetic pleasure,
instruction, or special feelings.
Plato provided a foundantial and absolute argument for pragmatic
criticism. Pragmatic criticism itself
can be an effective means of interpretation or repression practical criticism
is perhaps most dangerous when knowledge of certain “moral” literature replaces
or supplants. The need for virtuous action.Despite the fact that pragmatic
criticism originated in the Roman times, Philip Sidney, a Renaissance critic,
is one of its most influential theorists.
For example:
Sidney, poetry has a clear cut purpose to audience. Good poets are those
who write. Both to delight and teach, or in other words, for delightful
instruction.
(2) Expressive Criticism: Previously “Expressive” is a German movement in painting but rather on,
it extended its access to other literary arts too. Expressive criticism treats
a literary work primarily in relation to the author. It defined poetry as an
expression, or overflow, or utterance of feelings recollected in tranquility is
taken as the ground idea of the expressive theory of art.
The three key concepts
associated with this movement are……
(1) Imagination
(2) Genius
(3) Emotion
For example:
William Wordsworth preface to the second edition of lyrical Ballads is a
major expression of the spirit of English Romanticism.
(3) Objective Criticism: Objective criticism approachesthe work as something which stands free
from poet, audience, and the environment world. It describes the literary
products a self enough object or as aanalysisan as difficulty, coherence
integrity and the interrelation of its part element.
For example:
This is the characteristic approach of a number of important critic.
Since the 1920, including the new critic and the Chicago school of criticism.
(4) Mimetic Criticism: ‘Mimetic’ is derived from the Greek word ‘ Imitation: ‘mimetic’ means
creative copy. Mimetic criticism views the literary work as an imitation, or
reflection, or representation of the world and human life and the primary
criterion applied to a work is that of the “truth” of its representation to the
subjects it represents, or should represents.
For example:
This mode of criticism, which first appeared in Plato and Aristotle is
characteristic of modern theories of literary realism. Greek mimetic school is
based upon the ideas expressed by Plato and Aristotle.
Plato regards the artist as an imitator of imitations’. The painters
work is thrice removed from the “essential nature” of a thing. The artist
imitates the physical object, which is a faint copy of ideas of the thing. The
school, also imitates the external word but the imitation is of father poets
like Greek & ancient poets, & on purpose. For the poets of this school.
Purpose is more important than imitation.
(5) Practical & Applied Criticism:Practical criticism or Applied criticism
concerns itself with the discussion of particular works and writers; in an
Applied critique the theoretical principles controlling the mode of the
analysis, interpretation, and evolution are often left implicit, or brought in
only as the occasion demands.
For
example:
Among the more influential work of applied
criticism in England and America are the literary essay of Dryden in the
Restoration.
(6) Impressionistic Criticism:Impressionistic criticism means personal Impression. Impressionistic
criticism attempts to represent in words the felt qualities of a particular
work, and to express the attitude and feeling responses, the impression, that
the work directly evoke from the critic.
For example:
On William Ha3lit put it in his essay “on
Genius and common sense”. “You decide from feeling and not from reason; that
is, from the impression of a number of thing on the mind”
(7) Three Unities: Action, Time and Place:
(1)The unity of action: a play should
have one single plot or action to sustain the interest of the spectators and it
can also lead him to proper purgation.
(2) The unity of time: the action in a
play should not exceed the single revolution of the sun.
(3) The unity of place: a play should
cover a single physical space and should not attempt to compress geography, nor
should the stage represent more than one place.
(8)Deus
Ex Machina: The term deus ex machina refers to the circumstance where an implausible
concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of
resolving its conflict and procuring an interesting outcome.
The use of deus ex machina
is discouraged for the reason that the presence of it within a plot is viewed
as a sign of an ill-structured plot. The explanation that the critics provide
for bearing the above stated view is that the writer’s sudden resort to random,
insupportable and unbelievable twists for the purpose of procuring an ending
highlights the inherent deficiencies of the plot. Hence, deus ex machina is a
rather debatable and often criticized form of literary device.
The term is Latin for “god
out of the machine” and has its origins in ancient Greek theatre. It denotes
scenes in which a crane (machine) was used to lower actors or statues playing a
god or gods (deus) onto the stage to set things right, usually near the end of
the play.
(9) Plot:A plot is an account of the ACTION and all of the
motivations lying behind the action in a literary work. A plot may include such
elements as the "exposition," where the SETTING is established, the
CHARACTERS are introduced, and background information is provided; the
"CONFLICT"; the "climax," where the action comes to its
moment of greatest tension; and the "denouement," where the action
finally resolves. The Masterplots series of reference books lists plot
summaries for many classic literary works; check it out!
(10) Song/ Melody:The
definition of a
melody is a sequence of pleasing sounds that make up a particular musical
phrase.An example of melody is the most memorable arrangement of sounds in a
musical composition.
1.
A pleasing succession or arrangement of
sounds.
2.
Musical quality: the melody of verse.
3.
Music
a. A rhythmically organized sequence of
single tones so related to one another as to make up a particular phrase or
idea.
b. Structure with respect to the arrangement
of single notes in succession.
c. The leading part or the air in a
composition with accompaniment.
(11)Diction:Dictioncan be defined as style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by
a speakeror a writer.
Diction or choice of
words separates good writing from bad writing. It depends on a number of
factors. Firstly, the word has to be right and accurate. Secondly, words should
be appropriate to the context in which they are used. Lastly, the choice of
words should be such that the listener or readers understand easily. Besides,
proper diction or proper choice of words is important to get the message
across. On the contrary, the wrong choice of words can easily divert listeners
or readers which results in misinterpretation of the message intended to be
conveyed.
Example:Keats in his “Ode to the Grecian Urn” uses
formal diction to achieve a certain effect. He goes:
“Heard melodies are
sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on”
Notice the
use of formal “ye” instead of informal “you”. The formality here is due to the
respect the urn inspires in Keats. In the same poem he says:
“Ah, happy,
happy boughs!that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu.”
It is more
formal to use “adieu” than to say “goodbye”.
Example
In sharp contrast to Keats, John Donne uses colloquialism in his poem “The Sun Rising”:
“Busy old fool, unruly Sun,
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains, call on us?
Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run?
Saucy pedantic wretch,”
Treating the sun as a real human being, the
poet speaks to the sun in an informal way using colloquial expressions. He
rebukes the sun because the sun has appeared to spoil the good time he is
having with his beloved. Further, he orders the “saucy pedantic sun” to go
away.
(12)
Tragedy: Tragedy is kind of drama that presents a serious subject matter about human
suffering and corresponding terrible events in a dignified manner.
Aristotle defines Tragedy in his famous work
“Poetics” as:
“Tragedy is an
imitation of an action that is admirable, complete (composed of an
introduction, a middle part and an ending), and possesses magnitude; in
language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts;
performed by actors, not through narration; effecting through pity and fear the
purification of such emotions.”
From the above definition, we can understand
the objective of the Greek tragedies i.e. “…purification of such emotions” also
called “catharsis”. Catharsis is a
release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that
restores or refreshes the spirit.
Tragedy Examples
Below is the list of famous English tragedy
writers along with their famous works.
A. Christopher Marlowe:
Marlowe was the first
English dramatist worthy of the tradition of Greek tragedy. His characters of
tragedies are the great men of history who become victims of their own fate.
Conclusion:Criticism
means ‘To criticize’, ‘TO analysis’ and
latter to judge’. There are many types of criticism like pragmatic, practical ,
mimetic & many more. No critic can ever from accurate judge men unless the
possesses the Artistic vision.
