1.4-1.5-1.6-Defining-Literary-Criticism-Purposes-of-Literary-Cristicism.pdf

Lesson

1. EL 306-Literary Criticism
Defining Literary
Criticism

2. Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you can:
● Define literary criticism;
● Speculate on the advantages and disadvantages of literary criticism; and
● List the qualities of a literary critic.

3. The word ‘criticism’ comes from the ancient
Greek noun krites, meaning ‘judge.’
We also know from ordinary talk that it means
something like ‘finding fault.’ However, literary
criticism should not be defined as merely an activity
of finding fault, for it goes far beyond that.

4. The literary critic works for the reader—as
a companion and guide in addition to being
a specialist in his or her profession. One of
the qualities that he or she professes is
objectivity. This means that revealing the
true meaning and value of a work is of
utmost importance.

5. Poet and critic W. H. Auden in The Dyer’s Hand and
Other Essays (1962) writes:
What is the function of a critic?

6. A Critic can do me one or more of the following
services:
1. Introduce me to authors or works of which I was hit her
to unaware.
2. Convince me that I have undervalued an author or a
work because I had not read them carefully enough.

3. Show me relations between works of different ages and
cultures which I could never have seen for myself because
I do not know enough and never shall.

7. A Critic can do me one or more of the following
services:
4. Give a “reading” of a work which increases my
understanding of it.
5. Throw light upon the process of artistic “Making.”
6. Throw light upon the relation of art to life,
science, economics, ethics, religion, etc.

8. This is why we read criticism. It directs
our attention to subtle details and other
interesting things in a piece of literature.
And we trust in the expertise of the critic, as
well as in his or her opinions, while at the
same time recognizing our lack of means to
understand the text on our own.

9. However, even in the level of professionals, it is
natural to have differing opinions on a matter. This
much is true in literary criticism. The important thing is
that, as readers, we should also discern for ourselves the
plausibility of the literary critic’s opinions and
conclusions. Also, we should not look at a piece of
literature as something distant from our personal
everyday experience. After all, it is experience that a
writer is conveying in his or her work.

10. Thank you for
Listening:)
This is where you section ends. Duplicate this set of slides as many times you need to go over all your sections.