New and Practical Criticism
New Criticism, also known as Practical Criticism, is a literary theory and approach that emerged in the United States in the early 20th century. The approach focuses on close reading and analysis of literary texts in isolation from historical, biographical, or cultural contexts. New Criticism sought to identify the literary work's intrinsic value, emphasizing its formal and structural elements, rather than its extra-literary significance.
The name "New Criticism" reflected the view that literary criticism should be a "professional" activity that operates according to a set of objective and universally applicable standards. This approach sought to develop a rigorous and systematic method for the study of literature, which could be applied to any work, regardless of its philosophical, moral, or ideological content.
The New Critics valued works of literature for their formal qualities, such as imagery, symbolism, and metaphor, and sought to identify the organic unity of the work. They emphasized the importance of ambiguity, paradox, irony, and tension, seeing these as central to the meaning and value of the work.
Some of the key figures in the New Criticism movement included John Crowe Ransom, Cleanth Brooks, and W.K. Wimsatt, Jr. They were largely responsible for developing the approach known as close reading, which involves a detailed analysis of the text's language, form, and structure in order to uncover its meaning.
While New Criticism had a significant impact on literary criticism, it also faced significant criticism. Its reliance on formal elements alone to interpret literary works has been criticized for being too limited and for ignoring the social and historical contexts in which literature is created and interpreted. However, New Criticism remains an important influence on literary criticism, particularly in North America.
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