foundation of literary criticism assignment
Maharani shree nandkuvarba mahila arts and commerce college Bhavnagar
T.Y B.A SEM 6
SUBJECT: FOUNDATION OF LITERARY CRITICISM
TOPIC :
●Function of criticism at present time
●Imagination by l.A rechard
●Core concept of text, author , reader , context
Class assignment
●○Function of Criticism at the Present Time
By Matthew Arnold●○
“The Function of Criticism at the Present Time” (1864) is one of the most important critical essays written by Matthew Arnold. In this essay, Arnold explains the nature, role, and importance of criticism in society. He tries to show that criticism is not inferior to creative writing but plays a vital role in the intellectual and cultural development of a nation.
■□■□Introduction■□■□
Matthew Arnold was a great Victorian poet and critic. He believed that literature and criticism have a strong influence on society. In this essay, he defends criticism and explains its true function. He argues that criticism should be a disinterested effort to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world.
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Arnold wrote this essay at a time when English society was more focused on political and practical activities than on intellectual growth. He felt that England lacked serious criticism compared to countries like France and Germany.
Meaning of Criticism According to Arnold
Arnold defines criticism as:
“A disinterested endeavour to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world.”
○○This definition highlights three important points:○○
Criticism should be disinterested (free from bias).
●It should aim at discovering the best ideas.
●It should spread those ideas for the benefit of society.
●Criticism is not mere fault-finding.
●It is a serious intellectual activity aimed at promoting truth and excellence.
♤■♤The Main Function of Criticism♤■♤
°1. To Create an Intellectual Atmosphere
Arnold believes that before great creative literature can appear, there must be a proper intellectual environment. Criticism prepares the ground for creation. It collects and spreads great ideas, which inspire creative writers.
He gives the example of ancient Greece and Renaissance Europe, where great literature was produced because there was a strong intellectual atmosphere.
Thus, criticism plays a preparatory role.
°2. To Spread the Best Ideas
The critic’s duty is to know and spread the best ideas from all fields — literature, philosophy, history, science, and culture. Criticism should not be limited to one nation or time. It should be open to ideas from the whole world.
Arnold believed that England needed to learn from European thinkers to improve its cultural standards.
°3. To Remain Disinterested
One of Arnold’s most important principles is disinterestedness.
□●A true critic must:□●
●Avoid political bias
●Avoid religious narrowness
●Avoid personal prejudice
Seek only truth
●Criticism should not support any party or group. It should be objective and fair.
According to Arnold, English critics often failed because they were influenced by politics and personal opinions.
°4. To Guide Society Toward Perfection
Arnold believed in the idea of “perfection.” By perfection, he meant the harmonious development of all human qualities — intellectual, moral, and cultural.
Criticism helps society move toward this perfection by spreading high ideas and encouraging excellence.
○●○●Criticism and Creation●○●○●
Arnold discusses the relationship between criticism and creative power. He says that creative genius is higher than criticism, but creativity cannot flourish without the help of criticism.
He argues that:
●Creative writers produce literature.
●Critics prepare the intellectual soil for creation.
●Without criticism, creative work may lack depth and richness
♡♤♡Arnold’s View on England♡♤♡
Arnold criticizes English society for:
●Being too practical
●Lacking intellectual curiosity
●Mixing politics with criticism
●He compares England with France and Germany, where criticism was more serious and developed.
■□■Significance of the Essay■□■
○○This essay is important because:○○
●It gives a clear definition of criticism.
●It establishes the importance of objectivity.
●It connects literature with society.
●It influences modern literary criticism.
●Arnold’s idea that criticism should be unbiased and truth-seeking is still relevant today.
■□■Conclusion■□■
In “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time,” Matthew Arnold presents criticism as a noble and necessary activity. According to him, the function of criticism is to create a healthy intellectual atmosphere, spread the best ideas, remain disinterested, and guide society toward perfection.
He believes that criticism is not inferior to creative writing but an essential force that prepares the way for great literature and cultural progress. His ideas continue to influence modern literary thought and remain significant in the study of criticism.
Home assignment
Imagination by I. A. Richards
●■Introduction■●
I.A. Richards was a famous modern literary critic. He explained many important ideas about poetry and criticism.
In his discussion of imagination, Richards gives a psychological explanation.
He does not treat imagination as something mysterious or magical. Instead, he explains it as a mental process that organizes our thoughts and feelings.
L.A richards pic
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☆Meaning of Imagination☆
According to I.A. Richards, imagination is:
The power of the mind to combine, organize, and harmonize different impulses, emotions, and ideas.
Imagination is not just the ability to form images. It is a creative mental activity that brings balance and order to our emotions.
●●Imagination as a Balance of Impulses●●
Richards believed that the human mind has many impulses (feelings, desires, emotions). These impulses often conflict with each other.
●In ordinary life, these impulses are scattered and unorganized.
●In poetry, imagination arranges and balances them.
Thus, imagination creates harmony out of chaos.
○●Imagination and Poetry●○
Richards says that poetry is valuable because it organizes our emotions. The poet uses imagination to:
●Combine different feelings
●Bring opposite emotions together
●Create balance and unity
For example, in a tragic poem, there may be sadness, fear, and admiration together. Imagination blends them into one artistic experience.
Difference from Romantic View
Romantic poets like Samuel Taylor Coleridge considered imagination a divine or supernatural power.
But Richards gives a scientific and psychological explanation. For him:
●Imagination is not mystical.
●It is a mental process of organizing experiences.
●○●Imagination and Communication●○●
Richards also connects imagination with communication. A poet’s imagination helps readers experience similar emotions.
When we read poetry:
Our imagination responds to the poet’s imagination.
We experience balanced emotions.
Our mind becomes more stable and refined.
□●□Importance of Imagination□●□
According to Richards, imagination is important because:
●●It creates harmony in human experience.
●●It gives value to poetry.
●●It helps in emotional balance.
●●It improves mental and moral development.
●●Poetry, through imagination, helps us live better and think clearly.
☆☆Conclusion☆☆
In conclusion, I.A. Richards explains imagination as a psychological power that organizes and harmonizes human emotions. It is not a magical gift but a natural mental ability. Through imagination, poetry creates emotional balance and unity.
His explanation is modern, scientific, and different from the romantic theory of imagination.
Essay
Core Concepts in Literary Theory and Criticism
(Author – Text – Reader – Context)
□●○introduction□●○
Literary theory and criticism study how literature is created, interpreted, and understood. Over time, critics have
focused on four main elements:
●Author
●Text
●Reader
●Context
Different literary theories give importance to different elements. Understanding these four core concepts helps us understand how meaning is formed in literature.
1. Author-Centered Theory
The author refers to the writer who creates the literary work. Earlier criticism believed that to understand a text, we must understand the author’s:
●Life
●Personal experiences
●Intentions
●Historical background
For example, Romantic critics believed that literature reflects the author’s imagination and emotions.
Later, critics like Roland Barthes argued in his essay “The Death of the Author” that the author’s intention should not control the meaning of the text. According to him, meaning belongs to the reader, not the author.
So, modern theory questions the importance of the author.
2. Text-Centered Theory
Text-centered theories focus only on the text itself, not the author or reader.
The best example is New Criticism, associated with critics like T. S. Eliot.
According to text-centered theory:
A literary work is a self-contained unit.
Meaning is found in language, structure, symbols, and imagery.
The author’s life and reader’s feelings are not important.
This approach studies:
●Irony
●Paradox
●Symbolism
●Form and structure
The focus is on close reading of the text.
3. Reader-Centered Theory
Reader-centered theory says that meaning is created by the reader.
This approach is called Reader-Response Theory. Critics believe that:
●A text has no fixed meaning.
●Meaning changes according to the reader’s experience.
●Different readers may interpret the same text differently.
Stanley Fish is an important critic of this theory. He says meaning is produced by “interpretive communities”
groups of readers who share similar backgrounds.
Thus, the reader plays an active role in creating meaning.
4. Context-Centered Theory
Context means the social, political, cultural, and historical background of a text.
Context-based theories include:
●Marxism
●Feminism
●Postcolonialism
●Historicism
For example:
Marxist criticism studies class struggle and economic conditions.
Feminist criticism studies gender inequality.
Postcolonial criticism studies colonial power and identity.
Karl Marx influenced Marxist criticism. These theories argue that literature reflects social power structures and cannot be separated from its context.
Relationship Among Author, Text, Reader, and Context
These four elements are interconnected:
●The author creates the text.
●The text contains language and structure.
●The reader interprets the text.
●The context influences both the author and the reader.
Modern literary theory does not focus on only one element. It studies how all four interact to produce meaning.
●○●Conclusion●○●
In literary theory and criticism, Author, Text, Reader, and Context are the core concepts. Traditional criticism focused on the author, New Criticism focused on the text, Reader-Response theory focused on the reader, and modern critical theories focus on context.
Understanding these four elements helps us see that meaning in literature is not fixed. It is shaped by the interaction between the author, the text, the reader, and the social context.
Reference
Picture https://share.google/xE9IArPT7hWcZ57Nv
https://share.google/rFtliHNtJcgcSRVDY
https://share.google/shzxwJsmnobOvAC0c
https://chatgpt.com/s/m_699c868cdc2c8191819ec55b872629ff
