TYPES OF CRITICISM
There are different approaches to literature which came into existence down the ages. We have feminist point of view, Marxist point of view, structural point of view, phonological point of view and so on. Each approach draws its own line of analyzing the text and that analysis is termed as a separate type of criticism. As a result, we come across different types of criticism. Let’s have a look at these types.
LEGISLATIVE CRITICISM
JUDICIAL CRITICISM
INDUCTIVE CRITICISM
BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
COMPARATIVE CRITICISM
DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM
FORMALISTIC / TEXTUAL CRITICISM
PHYSCHO-ANALTICAL CRITICISM
CULTURAL CRITICISM
ECOCRITICISM
LEGISLATIVE CRITICISM:
This is the earliest type of criticism that existed during the ancient times. Here, the critics become the “law-givers”. They study and examine the past and present masterpieces and formulate some common norms or rules of writing literature. In a way, they seek to teach the writers how to write literature. Aristotle is considered an important legislative critic who laid down rules of writing tragedy in his ‘Poetics’. Sidney, Dryden and others too are the known legislative critics of English literature who wrote about the basic norms of writing poetry and drama.
JUDICIAL CRITICISM:
It is a type of criticism which examines various literary works on the basis of some set rules of writing literature. They are the experts who have read the norms established by the legislative critics. The use these norms as touchstones and examine and interpret the works of art. Dr. Samuel Johnson is regarded as the most outstanding judicial critic who has written criticism on 52 individual poets and their poetry in his famous critical work ‘Lives of the Poets’.
INDUCTIVE CRITICISM:
Inductive criticism discards set rules and principles in judging works of literature. It is open hearted and romantic in its approach as it invites newness and uniqueness in the works of art. Inductive critic approaches literature in the spirit of pure investigation. The critic examines a work of art and tries to find out the merits of the work and formulates a new critical theory based on that work. Shakespeare wrote romantic comedies and innovated a new concept of comedy which was different from the concept of classical comedy. Here the critic focuses more on the individual talent and genius of the author and tries to understand how the author’s works contribute towards the newness in art. In inductive criticism, the laws of art are found in the practice of artists and not in set rules. Inductive criticism
BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM:
Also known as traditional criticism, biographical criticism seeks to evaluate the work of art in the light of the biography of the author. Here, the critic studies the details about the author’s personal life, his birth, his family, his brought up, his education, his social relations and so on. Biographical critics believe that literature is the product of the author’s mind and personality and so it is important to stud the mind and personality of the author before analyzing his works. Saint Beuve was an outstanding critic of the 19thcentury who advocated for biographical criticism.
HISTORICAL CRITICISM:
It is rightly said that ever genius is the product of his age. Historical criticism studies the works against the background of the age in which it is written. The author is always the product of the times during which he lived. The social, political, religious and economic events which occur in an age certainly influence the mind of the author. Accordingly his works too are influenced by these social, political, religious or economic events. Shakespeare would not have written the same types of plays in modern times, had he lived in our times. In the same manner, G. B. Shaw would have written different types of plays, if he had lived during Shakespeare’s time. Hence, historical critics prefer studying the works in the light of historical events. Taine was such a critic who gave the formula of evaluating the works in the light of “race, milieu and moment” of the author.
COMPARATIVE CRITICISM:
We do not understand the value of light until we see darkness. In the same manner, comparative criticism focuses more on the method of comparison. The comparative critic compares on different levels – comparing one work of the author with the other written by the same author, comparing one work of art of one author with the other of similar nature written by the other author, comparing the techniques of one author with the other, comparing literature of one language with that of the other. John Dryden is considered the father of comparative criticism who compares the ancient writers with the moderns and French writers with the English ones. Matthew Arnold during the Victorian era also advocated this comparative method and propounded his famous ‘touchstone method’ in criticism.
DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM:
Descriptive criticism analyzes the existing literary works, their aims, methods and techniques. Mostly, the authors themselves write descriptive criticism on their own works in order to justify their works. Most of the writers write prefaces in the beginning of their works in which they seek to convince the readers about the validity and quality of their works. It is a kind of self-justification. If a legislative critic says, “This is how you should write literature”, a descriptive critic would say, “This is how I have written m work and why.” Ben Jonson, Wordsworth, Coleridge and others have written this type of descriptive criticism.
FORMALISTIC / TEXTUAL CRITICISM:
This types of criticism emerged in the beginning of the 2th century. Formalistic or textual criticism deals with the basic form and structure of text. In formalist criticism, the external forces like the author’s personality, his social, educational, political and cultural background are completely ignored. Text is studied as a text only. Here, the critic focuses the grammar, language, syntax, literary devices of the text are evaluated and the ultimate meaning is derived. I. A. Richards, T. S. Eliot, Roland Barthes focus more on examining the text itself. They adopt objective approach in which the break all connections between the text and the author.
PHYSCHO-ANALTICAL CRITICISM:
In the beginning of the 20th century, there was a development in the field of psychology in the hands of Freud, Jung, Bergson and others. It influenced literary criticism too and as a result a new approach came into existence which was termed as psychoanalytical criticism. It tries to fetch the “inner reality” while studying the text. They seek to find out the subconscious impressions of the author in their works. They study the characters and actions to draw out the hidden messages and meanings from the works. I. A. Richards was one of the most famous psychoanalytical critics.
CULTURAL CRITICISM:
Cultural criticism examines the text the representative of a culture’s beliefs, values, laws and so on. The cultural critic holds the view that true piece of literature echoes the traditions and beliefs of a specific culture in which it is written. For example, cultural criticism interprets Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ as the reflection of the practices of European imperialists, race relations in Africa, or the economic history of ivory and other raw products in the continent. Irving Babbitt and Walter Benjamin are the two great exponents of cultural criticism during the 20th century.
ECOCRITICISM:
The term 'Eco criticism' was coined in 1978 by William Rueckert. It analyzes texts that illustrate environmental concerns and examine the various ways literature treats the subject of nature. Eco criticism asks us to examine ourselves and the world around us, critiquing the way that we represent, interact with, and construct the environment, both “natural” and manmade. It is an earth-centered approach to the literary study. Here, nature is the center, not the man. It projects man as the villain who harms the natural laws. Jonathan Bate,Cheryll Glotfelty, Laurence Coupe,Patrick D Murphy and others are the most prominent eco-critics.
Apart from the above mentioned types of criticism, there are other types like feminist criticism, structuralist and post structuralist criticism, Marxist criticism and so on. Ever new theory or approach to literature gives rise to a new types of criticism.
LEGISLATIVE CRITICISM
JUDICIAL CRITICISM
INDUCTIVE CRITICISM
BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
COMPARATIVE CRITICISM
DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM
FORMALISTIC / TEXTUAL CRITICISM
PHYSCHO-ANALTICAL CRITICISM
CULTURAL CRITICISM
ECOCRITICISM
LEGISLATIVE CRITICISM:
This is the earliest type of criticism that existed during the ancient times. Here, the critics become the “law-givers”. They study and examine the past and present masterpieces and formulate some common norms or rules of writing literature. In a way, they seek to teach the writers how to write literature. Aristotle is considered an important legislative critic who laid down rules of writing tragedy in his ‘Poetics’. Sidney, Dryden and others too are the known legislative critics of English literature who wrote about the basic norms of writing poetry and drama.
JUDICIAL CRITICISM:
It is a type of criticism which examines various literary works on the basis of some set rules of writing literature. They are the experts who have read the norms established by the legislative critics. The use these norms as touchstones and examine and interpret the works of art. Dr. Samuel Johnson is regarded as the most outstanding judicial critic who has written criticism on 52 individual poets and their poetry in his famous critical work ‘Lives of the Poets’.
INDUCTIVE CRITICISM:
Inductive criticism discards set rules and principles in judging works of literature. It is open hearted and romantic in its approach as it invites newness and uniqueness in the works of art. Inductive critic approaches literature in the spirit of pure investigation. The critic examines a work of art and tries to find out the merits of the work and formulates a new critical theory based on that work. Shakespeare wrote romantic comedies and innovated a new concept of comedy which was different from the concept of classical comedy. Here the critic focuses more on the individual talent and genius of the author and tries to understand how the author’s works contribute towards the newness in art. In inductive criticism, the laws of art are found in the practice of artists and not in set rules. Inductive criticism
BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM:
Also known as traditional criticism, biographical criticism seeks to evaluate the work of art in the light of the biography of the author. Here, the critic studies the details about the author’s personal life, his birth, his family, his brought up, his education, his social relations and so on. Biographical critics believe that literature is the product of the author’s mind and personality and so it is important to stud the mind and personality of the author before analyzing his works. Saint Beuve was an outstanding critic of the 19thcentury who advocated for biographical criticism.
HISTORICAL CRITICISM:
It is rightly said that ever genius is the product of his age. Historical criticism studies the works against the background of the age in which it is written. The author is always the product of the times during which he lived. The social, political, religious and economic events which occur in an age certainly influence the mind of the author. Accordingly his works too are influenced by these social, political, religious or economic events. Shakespeare would not have written the same types of plays in modern times, had he lived in our times. In the same manner, G. B. Shaw would have written different types of plays, if he had lived during Shakespeare’s time. Hence, historical critics prefer studying the works in the light of historical events. Taine was such a critic who gave the formula of evaluating the works in the light of “race, milieu and moment” of the author.
COMPARATIVE CRITICISM:
We do not understand the value of light until we see darkness. In the same manner, comparative criticism focuses more on the method of comparison. The comparative critic compares on different levels – comparing one work of the author with the other written by the same author, comparing one work of art of one author with the other of similar nature written by the other author, comparing the techniques of one author with the other, comparing literature of one language with that of the other. John Dryden is considered the father of comparative criticism who compares the ancient writers with the moderns and French writers with the English ones. Matthew Arnold during the Victorian era also advocated this comparative method and propounded his famous ‘touchstone method’ in criticism.
DESCRIPTIVE CRITICISM:
Descriptive criticism analyzes the existing literary works, their aims, methods and techniques. Mostly, the authors themselves write descriptive criticism on their own works in order to justify their works. Most of the writers write prefaces in the beginning of their works in which they seek to convince the readers about the validity and quality of their works. It is a kind of self-justification. If a legislative critic says, “This is how you should write literature”, a descriptive critic would say, “This is how I have written m work and why.” Ben Jonson, Wordsworth, Coleridge and others have written this type of descriptive criticism.
FORMALISTIC / TEXTUAL CRITICISM:
This types of criticism emerged in the beginning of the 2th century. Formalistic or textual criticism deals with the basic form and structure of text. In formalist criticism, the external forces like the author’s personality, his social, educational, political and cultural background are completely ignored. Text is studied as a text only. Here, the critic focuses the grammar, language, syntax, literary devices of the text are evaluated and the ultimate meaning is derived. I. A. Richards, T. S. Eliot, Roland Barthes focus more on examining the text itself. They adopt objective approach in which the break all connections between the text and the author.
PHYSCHO-ANALTICAL CRITICISM:
In the beginning of the 20th century, there was a development in the field of psychology in the hands of Freud, Jung, Bergson and others. It influenced literary criticism too and as a result a new approach came into existence which was termed as psychoanalytical criticism. It tries to fetch the “inner reality” while studying the text. They seek to find out the subconscious impressions of the author in their works. They study the characters and actions to draw out the hidden messages and meanings from the works. I. A. Richards was one of the most famous psychoanalytical critics.
CULTURAL CRITICISM:
Cultural criticism examines the text the representative of a culture’s beliefs, values, laws and so on. The cultural critic holds the view that true piece of literature echoes the traditions and beliefs of a specific culture in which it is written. For example, cultural criticism interprets Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ as the reflection of the practices of European imperialists, race relations in Africa, or the economic history of ivory and other raw products in the continent. Irving Babbitt and Walter Benjamin are the two great exponents of cultural criticism during the 20th century.
ECOCRITICISM:
The term 'Eco criticism' was coined in 1978 by William Rueckert. It analyzes texts that illustrate environmental concerns and examine the various ways literature treats the subject of nature. Eco criticism asks us to examine ourselves and the world around us, critiquing the way that we represent, interact with, and construct the environment, both “natural” and manmade. It is an earth-centered approach to the literary study. Here, nature is the center, not the man. It projects man as the villain who harms the natural laws. Jonathan Bate,Cheryll Glotfelty, Laurence Coupe,Patrick D Murphy and others are the most prominent eco-critics.
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