Nature and function of literary criticism

This presentation is useful for someone initiating in the wonderful world of literature and criticism

1. THE NATURE AND
FUNCTION OF
LITERARY CRITICISM
Prof. Ketan Pandya
Prof. V. I. Patel

2. The Origin and Meaning of the term
‘CRITICISM’
•The term criticism derives from the
Greek term kritikos, which was used in
the 4
th
century B.C. It means “a judge of
literature”.
•In the 2
nd
century A.D. its place was
taken by the term criticus, aimed at the
interpretation of texts and words and
improvement of the works of writers in
Greek or Latin.

3. •In English, Dryden used it in the
modern sense in his preface to The
State of Innocence (1677). He writes
: “Criticism, as it was first instituted
by Aristotle, was meant a standard
of judging well.”
•Today, the term literary criticism
aims at the study of works of
literature with emphasis on their
evaluation.

4. The Function of CRITICISM
•Judgement :
In its strict sense, criticism means
judgement. The literary critic,
therefore, is primarily an expert who
uses his special faculty and training
to examine the merits and defects of
a piece of literary art or the work of
a given author and pronounce a
verdict upon it.

5. •The primary function of a literary
critic is to arrive at and pronounce a
meaningful judgement of value.
•I. A. Richards says : “To set up as a
critic is to set up as a judge of values.”
•Literary criticism, says Rene Wellek,
“is judgement of books, reviewing and
finally the definition of taste, of the
tradition, of what is a classic.”

6. •Evaluation :
•When a critic attempts to judge the value
of a work of art or literature, he can be
said to have evaluated the work.
•“Evaluative, judicial, or normative
criticism attempts to judge the merits of
the literature in relation to a literary,
social, moral, or other, value system.”
(Lee T. Lemon : A Glossary for the Study
of English, p. 99)

7. •T. G. Williams says : “The
function of a literary critic is
the evaluation of what has
been written, in terms of
aesthetic principles appropriate
to literature.” (English
Literature, a Critical Survey)

8. •Interpretation :
•If judgement be the real end of
criticism, interpretation may be
employed as a means to that end.
•“To feel the virtue of the poet or the
painter, to disengage it, to set it
forth – these are the three stages of
the critic’s duty.” (Walter Pater)

9. •Poetry is a ‘criticism (interpretation) of
life’. Criticism is an interpretation of that
interpretation.
•The chief function of criticism is to
enlighten and stimulate by the proper
interpretation of the works of literature.
•If a great poet makes us partakers of his
larger sense of the meaning of life, a
great critic may make us partakers of his
larger sense of the meaning of literature.

10. •Walter Pater aptly says: “Criticism is
the art of interpreting art.”
• Carlyle’s regard for criticism:
“Criticism stands like an interpreter
between the inspired and the uninspired;
between the prophet and those who hear
the melody of his words, and catch the
glimpse of their material meaning, but
understand not their deeper import.”

11. •Matthew Arnold defines
criticism as “a disinterested
endeavour to learn and propagate
the best that is known and thought
in the world.”

12. The Nature of CRITICISM
•Criticism and Creation
•To some people criticism appears to
be secondary, parasitic and inferior
to creation.
•It is stated that the creative artist is
personal and subjective, whereas a
critic is impersonal, dispassionate,
and detached.

13. •Though the creative and critical
faculties are logically distinct,
psychologically they are interfused
with each other.
•There is a kind of criticism which
exists before art itself just as there is a
kind of criticism which follows art,
taking art as its subject-matter. “There
is no work of art”, says Scott James,
“which is not preceded by criticism.”

14. •Thus, there is no antipathy but close
affinity between the critic and the
creative artist. “Both poet and critic
draw their light from the sun of
beauty and truth, and we may be
glad of both.” (Grierson)
•According to Scott James, “The
true critic is an ally of the artist.”

15. •A good critic has the same interest at
heart as the artist possesses. His never
failing sympathy and intuition qualify
him to speak on behalf of the artist.
•Alexander Pope beautifully says,
“Both must alike from Heaven derive
their light,
These born to judge, as well as those
to write.”

16. • Literary Criticism & Scientific
Accuracy :
•A debatable question: Is literary
criticism an art or an exact science?
•Critics like I. A. Richards and Prof.
Moulton aim at scientific accuracy
and scientific impartiality in their
literary criticism.

17. •According to D. H. Lawrence,
criticism can never be a science. In
first place, criticism is ‘much too
personal’, and secondly, it is
concerned with ‘values that science
ignores’.
•“The touch-stone is emotion, not
reason.”

18. “A perfect judge will read each
work of wit
With the same spirit that its
author writ.”
(Alexander Pope, An Essay on
Criticism )

19. Qualities of a Good Critic
Hume believed that agreement among
ideal critics on aesthetic issues
constituted "the true standard of taste
and beauty.”
The ideal critic possessed five
attributes: "strong sense, united to
delicate sentiment, improved by
practice, perfected by comparison, and
cleared of all prejudice."

20. •A good critic must have superior
sensibility.
•He must also have wide erudition.
•A good critic must be entirely
impersonal and objective.
•He must try to discipline his
personal prejudices and whims.
•A critic must also have a highly
developed sense of tradition.

21. •An ideal critic must have
knowledge of technical details of
a poem, its genesis, setting, etc.
•“Analysis and comparison,
methodically, with sensitiveness,
intelligence, curiosity, intensity of
passion and infinite knowledge:
all these are necessary to the
great critic.” T. S. Eliot

22. •Remi de Gourmont
•A critic’s task is “to convert personal
impressions into the appearance of an
abstract and universal idea”

23. Thank you