Assignment
Name :- Gujarati
Krishna V.
Class :- M.A. SEM
2
Topic
:- write
brief note on the views of I.A. Richards on the importance of metaphor,
personification and visual memory in poetic language
Paper No :- 07 Literary
Criticism and Theory.
ROLL
NO :- 17
Submitted :- Smt S.B.Gardy
Department of English Maharaja,
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University,
Bhavnagar.
-I.A Richards as a critic of
Figurative Language
In
criticism if we remember some important and well-known critics then we must
remember I.A Richards, in full Ivor
Armstrong Richards, who was born Feb. 26, 1893, Sandbach,
Cheshire, Eng.—died Sept. 7, 1979, Cambridge,
Cambridge shire), English critic, poet, and teacher who was highly
influential in developing a new way of reading Poetry that led to
the New criticism and that also influenced some forms of reader-response
criticism.
Richards was educated at Magdalene
College, Cambridge, and was a lecturer in English and moral sciences there from
1922 to 1929. In that period he wrote three of his most influential
books: The Meaning of the Meaning (1923), a
pioneer work on semantics; and Principles of
Literary Criticism (1924) and Practical
Criticism (1929), companion volumes that he used to develop his critical
method.
The latter two were based on
experimental pedagogy: Richards would give students poems in which the titles
and authors’ names had been removed and then use their responses for further
development of their “close reading” skills. Richards is best known for
advancing the close reading of Literature and for articulating the
theoretical principles upon which these skills lead to “practical criticism,” a
method of increasing readers’ analytic powers.
During the 1930s, Richards spent much
of his time developing Basic English, a system
originated by Ogden that employed only 850 words; Richards believed a
universally intelligible language would help to bring about international
understanding. He took Basic English to China as a visiting professor at Tsing
Hua University (1929–30) and as director of the Orthological Institute of China
(1936–38).
In
1942 he published a version of Plato’s Republic in Basic English. He
became professor of English at Harvard University in 1939, working mainly in
primary education, and emeritus professor there in 1963. His speculative and
theoretical works include Science and Poetry (1926; revised
as Poetries and Sciences, 1970),Mencius on the
Mind (1932), Coleridge on Imagination etc.
Four Kinds
of Meaning
A study of his practical criticism together with
his work ‘The Meaning of meaning reveals his interest in verbal and textual
analysis. According to him a poet writes to communicate and language is the
means of that communication. Language consists words so study of study of words
so study of words is significant to understand the meaning. The meaning depends
on.
So,Now Let's have a look on each on them in
detail.
1 Sense:-
Sense
is very much important in the figurative language. By sense it meant
something that is communicated by the plain literal meanings of the words.
Therefore it matters a lot.
2 Feeling:-
Feeling deals with the emotions and sentiments of the writers.It Refers to
emotional attitudes desire, will, pleasure, unpleasure and the rest words
express feelings.so it is important.
3 Tone:-
Tone is significant as far as Figurative language is concerned. Tone here means
the writers attitude towards his audience. The writer chooses his words and
arranges them keeping in mind the taste of his readers. Feeling is only state
of mind.
4 Intention:-
So far as intention is concerned in the figurative language. It is authors
conscious or unconscious aim, it is the effect that one tries to produce. Also
intention controls the emphasis, shapes the arrangement, or draws attention to
something of importance. Hence it is very much important in the figurative
language.
“Sources of
misunderstanding in poetry”:
The source is very
much important in the figuratie language.In practical criticism a study of
literary judgment, I.A.Richards has given the theory of Figurative language. He
starts discussion first on sources of misunderstanding in poetry. He says that
it is very difficult to find the source which creates misunderstanding.
Further, he says that there are four sources of misunderstanding as far as are
poetry is concerned. As one source of misunderstanding is connected with the
other in different way it becomes very hard to diagnoses, with certainty, the
source of some particular mistake or misunderstanding. This kind of source of
misunderstanding can be possible but rarely.
To some
readers meter and verse form of poetry are as powerful as distraction as a barrel
organ or a brass-bend is to one trying to solve difficult mathematical. But as
we know, meter and rhymes are essential part of poetry and cannot be
differentiated. Therefore, the reader should a poem several times. Because the
constant reading of poem can solve the problem regarding the meter and verse.
Reader should read a poem for grasping the concept of it. Perhaps the constant
readings can solve the various doubts about the poem. These misunderstanding of sense of the poetry must be
solved by the reader. So that he can grasp the idea of the poem.
Here
I.A Richards also says that the source of the misunderstanding in the
poetry.This complicated situation gives rise to misunderstanding or wrong
notion that syntax is of less significant in poetry then in prose and that the
proper way of understanding poetry is through a kind of guess-work, which may
even be called intuition. Such notions are hard solve. Because they are true to
some extent. This aspect of truth in poetry makes reader most deceptive and
misleading. I.A. Richard warns his readers against this danger.Therefore I.A
Richards also makes remarks
“In most poetry the sense
is as important as anything else;
It is quite as a subtle,
and as dependent of the syntax as in
Prose; it is the poet’s
chief instrument to other aims when it is not
Itself his aim. His control
of our thoughts is ordinarily his chief means to the
Control of our feeling, and
in the immense majority of instances we miss nearly everything
Of value if we misread his
sense.
“The significance of visual
memory”:
Here in this essay of
Figurative language the significance of the visual memory is very much
significant in short we can also say that a proper understanding of figurative
language required close study of the poem. Reader should read the poem into the
context of close reading. its literal since must be carefully followed, but
such literal reading must not come in the way of imagination appreciation
of it judicious balance must be struck between literalism and imaginative
freedom . The aim of the poem must be clearly understood for without such and
understanding any judgment of the means the poet has used would be fallacious.
New critics give importance to means first then the end of the poem. Because by
doing this, they can learn the language – metaphor, figure of speech etc... At
art, the end of the poetry can be achieved then the liberty can be given to
analysis poem from anyway.
Source of Misunderstanding in Poetry
As far as misunderstanding is concerned many a times it occurs in the poetry in
that misunderstanding occurs because sometimes what a poet wants to say and
what the reader understand. So According to I.A. Richards there are four
sources of misunderstanding of poetry. It is difficult to diagnose with
accuracy and definiteness, the source of some particular mistake or
misunderstanding of the sense of poetry. It arises from inattention, or sheer
carelessness. I.A. Richards warns readers –In most poetry the sense is as
important as anything else it is quite as a subtle, and as dependent on
the syntax, as in prose it is the poet’s chief instrument to other aims when it
is not itself his aim. His control of thoughts is ordinarily his chief means to
the control of our feelings, and in the immense majority of instances we
misread his sense.” Hence I.A Richards makes remarks about the misunderstanding
in the poetry.
But many times it is observed that sometimes Over-literal reading may cause
misunderstanding in the poetry. Hence an over literal-reading is as great a
source of misunderstanding. Careless intuitive reading and prosaic
‘over-literal reading are the simple-godes the justing rocks. Defective
scholarship is a third source of misunderstanding in poetry. The reader may
fail to understand the sense of the poet because he is ignorant of poet’s
sense. Afar more serious cause of misunderstanding is the failure to realise
that the poetic use of words is different from an assumption about language
that can be fatal to poetry. Literary is one serious obstacle in the way of a
right understanding of the poetic words. According to Richards-poetry is
different from prose and needs a different attitude for right understanding.
The Nature of Poetic Truth:
So far as the nature of the
poetic truth is concerned, it differs from Scientific Truth as it is very well
said by I.A Richards. In the principle of literary criticism he writes “It is
evident that the bulk of poetry consists of statement which only the very
foolish would think of attempting to verify. They are not the kind of things which
can be verified.
So if it is connected with
what was said in chapter 16 as to the natural generality of verge of reference,
we shall see another reason why references as they occur in poetry are rarely
susceptible to scientific truth or falsity. Only references which are brought
in to certain highly complex and very special combinations, so as to correspond
to the ways in which things actually hang together, can be either true or false
and most references in poetry are not knit together in this way. But even when
they are on examination, frankle false, this is no defect. Indeed, the
obviousness of the falsity forces the reader to reactions which are incongruent
or disturbing to the poem. An equal paint more often misunderstood, their truth
when they are true, is no merit. Hence the nature of the poetic truth is very
well observed by I.A Richards.
The Value of Figurative
Language
In any literary work of art
the value of figurative language is very much an inevitable part. Figurative
language can create problems. It is difficult to turn poetry into logical
respectable prose. Only through accuracy and precision is combined with a
recognition of the liberties is combined with a recognition of the liberties
which are proper for a poet, and precision is combined with a recognition of
the liberties which are a recognition of the liberties which are proper for a
poet, and the power and value of figurative language.
Thus
we may also say that the poet is rather negligent in the choice of means he has
employed to attain his end. The enjoyment and understanding of the best poetry
requires sensitiveness and discrimination with words a nicety, imaginativeness
and deftness in taking their sense which will prevent the poem in question, in
its original form, from attentive readers. Hence those mixed metaphors are
necessary to make the language eye-catching as well as well-ornaments.
A Health, a ringing health,
unto the king, of all our hearts today! But what proud song, should not
followed on the thought, nor do him wrong? ………………….. Away into the sunset-glow.
There are various comments
on the above piece of the hyperbole of sea-harp. The only concrete simile in
the octave is the likening of the sea to a harp-surely a little extravagant.
There is no doubt that the
similarity between the sound of a harp and the sea but in poetry such things do
happen. It is clear that the effect proposed by the poets is, “an exhilarating
awakening of wonder and a fusion of the sea, lightning and spring, those three
‘most moving manifestations of Nature.’
Mixed
Metaphors :-
Mixtures in metaphors work
well if in the mixture the different parts or elements do not cancel each other
out. The mixture must not be of the fire and water like. ‘Woven’ does not mix
well with sea and lightening and so here the mixed metaphor is a serious fault.
Figurative
Language:
The poet is rather
negligent in the choice of means he has employed to attain his end. The
enjoyment and understanding of the best poetry requires a sensitiveness and
discrimination with words, a nicely, imaginativeness and deftness in taking
their sense which will prevent the poem in question, in its original form
receiving the approval of the most attentive readers.
The
Value of Personification:
Personification comes
naturally to us. Personification may not express sense but it expresses the
feelings of the poet towards what he is speaking about personification enables
the poet to clear and comprehend the difficult work. Personification should not
be over-elaborated. There are degrees of personification. If it is
over-elaborated it becomes over-burdened.
Comparative
Criticism:
Richards warns his readers
against the dangers of over simple forms of ‘comparative criticism’. A critic
has compared the poet and Shelley is clear in the conception. One thing should
be noted that ‘end’ and ‘means’ both differ. As two poets are often closely
paralleled in their intents, divergence in their methods does not prove one
poem better than the other, ‘Comparative Criticism’ has value under conditions
and circumstances.
“When after five years of
‘antics’ chiefly concerned with the cloud- shadows, he turns to the cloud
itself in its afternoon dissolution, he cuts the personification down, mixing
his metaphors to reflect its incoherence, and finally, ‘O frail steel issue of
the sun,’ depersonifying it altogether in mockery of its total loss of
character. This recognition that the personification was originally an extra
vantage makes the poem definitely one of fancy rather than imagination to use
the Wordsworthian division but it rather increases than diminishes the
descriptive effects gained by the device. And its peculiar felicity in exactly
expressing a certain shade of feeling towards the cloud deserves to be
remarked.”
Analysis of the poem with the help of
“figurative language of poetry” by I.A.Richard
Joy and woe are woven fine
Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine,
Under every grief and pine,
Runs a joy with silken twine.
It is right it should be so,
We were made for joy and woe,
And when this we rightly know,
Through the world we safely go.
A clothing for the soul divine,
Under every grief and pine,
Runs a joy with silken twine.
It is right it should be so,
We were made for joy and woe,
And when this we rightly know,
Through the world we safely go.
- by William
Blake
In this poem poet William Black
uses some figures of language like Paradox, personification, exaggeration or
Hyperbole. So let’s discuss it.
1. Paradox :
- Joy and woe. We know that Joy means Happiness and woe
means sadness and this both are together in very first line of this poem. So,
we can say that here poet used paradox in first line of this poem.
2. Personification:- clothing
for the soul divine Personification gives human characteristics to
inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. And here poet says that clothing for the
soul divine. We all know that soul can’t wear clothes but
here poet used personification in this line.
3. Personification :- Runs
a joy it is also personification because we all know that joy
can’t run.
So, we can say that here poet William Black
uses so many figures of language for his poem
‘ Joy and woe are woven fine’.
Conclusion:
Briefly, a proper understanding of figurative
language needs closer study. Its literal meaning must be traced. Its literal
meaning cannot be found in any imaginative appreciation of it. There should be
a judicious balance between literalism and imaginative freedom. One should
comprehend the meaning of poetry properly and then come to the judgment whether
it has any fault or not.
I.A.Richards says :-
“The
chemist must not require that the poet writes like a chemist, not the moralist,
not the man of affairs, nor the logician, nor the professor, that he writes as
they would. The whole trouble of literalism is that the readers forget that the
aim of the poems comes first and is the sole justification of its means. We may
quarrel, frequently we must, with aim of the poem, but we have first to
ascertain what it is. We cannot legitimately judge its means by external
standards which may have no relevance to its success in doing what it set out
to do.”
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