Russian Formalism

Russian Formalism

Russian Formalism is a literary theory and approach that emerged in Russia in the early 20th century. The movement focused on the formal elements of literature, such as language, structure, and narrative devices, and emphasized the importance of studying these elements in isolation from the social or historical contexts in which they were produced. 

The Russian Formalists believed that literature was a self-contained system of language, rather than a reflection of external reality. They sought to develop a scientific approach to the study of literature, applying objective methods of analysis to identify the unique formal features that define literary works.

The Formalists focused on the study of literary devices such as metaphor, rhythm, and ambiguity, and sought to distinguish literary language from everyday language. They also believed that literary works could be understood in terms of their "literariness," or their unique qualities as works of literature, rather than in terms of their moral, philosophical, or political content.

Some of the key figures in Russian Formalism include Viktor Shklovsky, who emphasized the concept of "defamiliarization," the idea that literary works can be distinguished from everyday language by the way they defamiliarize or make strange ordinary objects or experiences; and Roman Jakobson, who developed the concept of "poetic language," a specialized form of language that is used in poetry to foreground its artistic qualities.

While Russian Formalism had a significant impact on literary criticism, it declined in the 1930s due to political pressure from the Soviet government, which sought to control literary production and restrict the Formalists' approach, viewing it as too formalistic and divorced from social or political realities.

Russian Formalism

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