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New Criticism And famous Critics of New Criticism

A prominent literary philosophy that first appeared in the early 20th century is known as New Criticism. It emphasises in-depth textual examination as well as the literary work’s underlying traits. The emphasis of New Criticism is on dissecting the language, imagery, symbolism, and form of the text rather than taking into account extraneous elements like the author’s intentions or historical context. It rejects the practise of summarising or paraphrasing the work and emphasises the significance of exploring the internal coherence of the text to unearth deeper meanings. The goal of New Criticism is to provide a thorough comprehension of literature based on its formal and aesthetic components by emphasising the intrinsic characteristics of the text.

1. William Empson

Famous critic William Empson was a key figure in the New Criticism movement. His substantial contributions to literary analysis, such as “Seven Types of Ambiguity” and “The Structure of Complex Words,” made him a prominent figure in the field. Empson’s analytical prowess and painstaking study of poetic language, symbolism, and contradictions produced a new understanding of the literary intricacies. He popularised the idea of “ambiguity,” which was crucial to New Criticism since it highlighted the various interpretations and meanings that literary texts might have. Empson made significant contributions to the New Criticism, and those aiming for the UGC NET in English can learn from his work about the subtleties of poetic expression and the persuasiveness of language ambiguity.

2. I.A.Richards

Famous critic I.A. Richards was a key figure in the New Criticism movement. Richards made a name for himself in literary analysis thanks to his famous books, including “Principles of Literary Criticism” and “The Meaning of Meaning” (co-written with C.K. Ogden). His method put an emphasis on reading closely and objectively analysing language while interpreting literary texts. Richards popularised the idea of “practical criticism,” which encouraged a careful examination of the written words while concentrating on the reader’s reaction and the poetry as a whole. His contributions to New Criticism are still well-respected and give UGC NET English candidates helpful understandings of the difficulties in literary interpretation. Read More....