Paper No - 7 Literary Theory and Criticism - Western - 2

Paper no – 7 Literary Theory and Criticism

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Name – Megha B Trivedi

Course – M.A. English

Sem – 2

Batch – 2016 -2018

Roll No – 18

Enrolment No – 2069108420170030

Submitted to – Smt. S. B. Gardi Dept. Of English MKBU

Email id – meghatrivedi666@gmail.com

Topic - Various ways to Study Literature

Literature is a very vast subject, and the study of literature is a very important, because literature is not only just stories but it’s connects so many subjects like politics, culture , Psychology etc. Through literature we can expand our mental horizon. But how we read with better way it is necessary , so in literature many critics and writers gave some important method in their literary works. Through this way we can learn so many things and we can criticizes also.

( 1 ) Tradition and Individual Talent by T.S. Eliot

( 2 ) A Figurative Language by I.A. Richards

( 3 ) Archetypal Criticism by Northrop Frye

( 4 ) Computer Assisted Literary Criticism by Raymond G. Siemens

( 5 ) Structuralism and Post Structuralism by Gerard Genett and Derrida’s Deconstruction

1) T. S. Eliot’s essay – Tradition and Individual Talent

T.S. Eliot’s “ Tradition and Individual Talent “ was published in 1919 in The Egoist the Times Literary supplement. Later, the essay was published in The Sacred Wood: Essays on Poetry and Criticism in 1920/2. This essay is described by David Lodge as the most celebrated critical essay in the English of the 20th century. The essay is divided into three main sections.

1) Concept Of Tradition :-

First the question is tradition is use in positive way or negative way , because the tradition leads towards the concept of traditional and traditional means not modern. Modern is good and traditional is not good that people believes. But here T. S. Eliot use the term Tradition is very positive way. According to Eliot tradition and individual talent go together. Tradition means “ Tradition is a matter of much wider significance. It cannot be inherited and if you want it you must obtain it by great labor. It involves the historical sense.” So historical sense is important. And “The Historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence; the historical sense compels a man to write not mealy with his own generation in his bones, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of the literature of his own country has a simultaneous existence and cosmoses a simultaneous order. This historical sense, which is a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal and of the timeless and of the temporal together, is what makes a writer traditional. And it is make at the same time writers most acutely conscious of his place in time, of his contempora neity”. Tradition is use in a very wide sense. Eliot try to said that it is required that all the writes or poet have the knowledge of history. Tradition is not something dead bue something living.

2) Theory of Depersonalization

In this Eliot gave the idea of the relation between poet and poetry, with the example of chamichal reaction . Here Eliot used the example of science that

So3 + H2o = H2so4

So, when gases Oxygen and Sulphur dioxide are mixed in the presence of a platinium , they forn sulphurous acid. This combination takes place only if the platinum is present , so same way The mind of the poet is the shred of platinum. So, the poet’s idea can’t depart into his or her works.

3) Summing part

In which Eliot takls about the impersonality, and he summed up.

So, the Eliot said that what is tradition and how it is important, and with this all how we read literatuer in better way.

2) I . A. Richards ‘s – The Figurative Language

I . A. Richards and T. S. Eliot both known as the founding father of the New Criticism. First the question is what is figurative language? Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. As per I. A. Richards a poet writes to communicate, and language is the means of that communication. Language is made of words and heance a study of words is all important if we are to understand the meaning of a work of art. According to I.A. Richard, words carry,

Four kinds of meaning – 1) Sense, 2) Feeling 3) Tone 4) Intention1. Sense – is what is said, or the ‘iteme’ referred to by a writer

2. Feeling – emotions, emotional attitude, will, desire, pleasure ,displeasure and the rest

3. Tone – is writer’s attitude to his readers or audience

4. Intention – is the writer’s aim, which may be conscious or unconscious.

Two uses of Language1. The scientific use – in the reference should be correct and the relation of references should be logical.

2. The emotive use – any truth or logical arrangement is not necessary – it may work as an obstacle.

Four types of misunderstanding

1. Misunderstanding of the sense of Poetry: Careless, intuitive, reading ( rhyme or irregular syntax)

2. Over- literal reading – Prosaic reading

3. Defective scholarship; inappropriate metaphor

4. Difference in meaning of words in poetry and prose ( Personification, Metaphor etc )

We can study any poetry or song also in this way . Here is an Example , Click here


4) Northrop Frye – The Archetypal criticism

Term Archetype denotes recurrent narratives designs, patterns of action, character- type , themes, and images are identifiable in a wide variety of works of literature as well as in myths, dreams and even social ritual. Archetypal literary criticism was given impetus by Maud Bodkin’s Archetypal Patterns in Poetry ( 1934 ) and flourished especially during 1950s and 1960s.

Every emotion connected with nature,

Comedy – Spring

Romance – Summer

Autumn – Tragedy

Satire – Winter

How symbol or image is to be interpreted. Five types of worlds are there.

1. Human world – is representative of wish- fulfillment and being community cantered.

2. Animal – in the comedic gender. Like sheep and wolves

3. Vegetation - for comic represent the garden and parks and lotuses but for tragic use wild forest

4. Mineral – Tragic mineral realm the desert and ruins.

5. Water – Rivers in a comedic , and in tragic situation seas and floods signify.

Archetypes fall into two major categories, Characters and situation. The hero, The outcast, The scapegoat, The star – crossed lovers, The shrew, Femme Fatale, The journey.

Some situation and symbols use very well , with the help of it we easily understand that what is the real symbolic meaning is. Like ( 1 ) River – death and rebirth ( 2 ) Colors – Like Red – blood, Green – growth , White – purity etc ( 3 ) Numbers – 13 – not good number ( 5 )

So, this different Archetypal symbols use well in various literature , and in movies also.

5) A New Computer – Assisted Literary Criticism In which many things described well, like that what is Digital Humanities? And what is Digital Humanities doing in English Department ? And how Digital technology will help to read literature.

Digital Humanities means an area of research, teaching, and creation concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities. It’s covered so many topics also. In English department through digital technology , study of DH became easy, because English numeric helps a lot , because English numbers and words very easy to use. Second there is long association between computers and composition, almost as long and just rich in its lineage. Next is only one English language use this technology well in literature, through presentation, assignment, blogs and this all became electronic literature. Last is the openness of English departments , because it is very important. Free Thinking is important.

Many writers wrote on this topic, like Raymond Siemens, John Smith, Tim William Machan, Michael Best, Susan Schreibman, William Winder, Tamsie Van Pelt, Marshall Soules, Geoffry Rockwell and Dene Grigar.

Matthew Jockers gave the Big deta Analysis. With help of technology specially in literature we can make study better. Like ‘ Ctrl + F’ gives us opportunity to find recurrent words . With the use of goole we can know emmideatly that which author’s book became best seller in this year. Through e-book study became faster and we find good criticism also. Now a days e- devices like the ipad, Kindle became useful, and this kind of facilities used in many library also. So, this way also helpful to read literature, in a better way.

6) Structuralism, Post structuralism and Deconstruction

This all are very interesting terms. Through this various type of study became possible. Because Gerard Genette writes one essay that “ Structuralism and Literary Criticism “ that in which he explained that what is “ Intellectual bricolage” and this approach given to Saussure’s approach. Than French thinker Jacques Derrida gave the idea of Deconstruction. It is post structuralism. This term is very hard to understand , he talks about the metaphysics of presence. and in which we can’t find any particular meaning , because when we try to search one word’s meaning it leads to another meanings. So, no final answer. Concept of Supplementary                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Example of Structuralism : Click here


  Example of Deconstruction : Click here                        
               
           


Reference :

WWW.wikipedia.com

WWW.dilipbaradblogpost

Study materials