Qualifications of a Good Critic

 

QUALIFICATIONS OF A CRITIC

Criticism is the art of interpreting art. A good critic must be an artist who adopts an objective or scientific approach towards art. A good critic must have sensibility and sensitivity to understand art and at the same time he must have the mind of a scientist to examine the merits and demerits of art in an objective manner. As a critic of engineers must himself be an engineer first, the critic of art and literature must himself be a poet first. Hence, an ideal critic is both a sensitive person like any artist and is also a highly learned scholar with scientific attitude.

The qualities which make an ideal critic are as under.

1. HIGH SENSITIVITY
2. VAST KNOWLEDGE
3. LOGICAL POWER
4. POWER OF IMAGINATION
5. EXPLANATION POWER
6. ART OF WRITING
7. DISINTERESTEDNESS

1.   HIGH SENSITIVITY:

The author expresses his own personal emotions in his work of art. A good critic must be able to feel what the author felt while writing his work of art. For this, the critic must have the quality of high sensitivity. If he cannot understand the morals and philosophical ideas expressed by the author, he would never have been able to present them before the readers. A good critic must be sensitive enough to feel and understand the feelings and thoughts of the author.

2.   VAST KNOWLEDGE:

A good critic is a highly learned scholar who has read past authors of all literatures. He must be well versed with all major writers and their works. He must read the authors of other literatures too. He holds the knowledge of all poetic devices. A good critic should also be well acquainted with all critical theories and movements of that particular literature which he wants to examine. He knows all philosophical theories. He has to read about the mythology, history and culture of the nation which has been presented in literature.

3.   LOGICAL POWER:

As we discussed earlier, a good critic must also be a good scientist. A critic uses his own logic to determine the merits and demerits of the works of art. He compares and contrasts different works of art by his power of logic. By applying his logic, he draws conclusions regarding the merits and values of art. A good critic must be able to control his emotions and to examine the works logically.

4.   POWER OF IMAGINATION:

Imagination is one of the prime characteristics of literature. Literature presents human life and society with a touch of imagination. Hence, when a critic wants to analyse literature, he must be able to imagine what the author imagined while writing literature. With his power of secondary imagination, the critic travels into the imaginary world of the author in order to attain the real feeling. If the critic doesn't have this power of imagination, he will not be able to understand the works of art and subsequently he will not be able to explain it to the readers.

5.   ART OF WRITING:

A critic should also possess the explanation power and art of writing. A critic provides a link between the author and the reader. He explains to the reader what he feels about the works of art. A critic is also a good writer who adopts easy and critical style of explanation. He explains the high philosophical thoughts to the reader in the simplest possible language. He uses simple yet critical and objective style of writing.

6.   DISINTERESTEDNESS:

Matthew Arnold, a Victorian critic believed that disinterestedness is the prime quality of any good critic. A critic has good judgment power. He cannot be prejudiced or biased against any author. He does not allow his likes and dislikes to overpower his critical judgment. Though he reads all great authors and their works, he is not influenced by them and takes special care while analyzing or interpreting the works of art. He does not judge the works under any political or religious influences. He remains disinterested in whatsoever ideologies, theories or philosophies prevailing in past or present.

CONCLUSION:

In short, one may say that an exceptionally qualified and gifted man who performs his tasks objectively can become a good critic. T. G. Williams writes:

"The requirements and qualifications of a critic are 

sensitivity, imagination, knowledge and judgment."

An ideal critic is a judge who remains aloof from his likes and dislikes and who has the power of imagination as well as the art of writing. A good critic must be a man of knowledge, must be an artist himself and must also be a scientist who examines the works of art objectively. He holds the heart of an artist and a mind of a scientist.

Click to watch a video lecture.