Types of literary theory

Literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Literary adaptation is the adapting of a literary source e. Culler makes that point early on in this little gem of a book. There are many types of literary theory, which take different approaches to texts. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. Since ancient times, readers have debated and critiqued literature from a variety of perspectives. Literary lenses provide different methods for the analysis of literature.

Was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. What are the four types of literary theories according to. A reader sees a literary work chiefly as a reflection of the authors life and times or the life and times of the characters of the work. According to new criticism, the literary text contains its own meaning within itself. Information and translations of literary theory in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Introduction to critical theory introduction to literature. Literary theory, sometimes designated critical theory, or theory, and now undergoing a. Types of literary theory study guide by laurenkalteis includes 21 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. Petersburg later leningrad and led by viktor shklovsky. A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. A very short introduction is an exemplary work in this genre. Major types of literary theory so now were going to go through major types of literary theory. A sampling of critical lenses literary theories were developed as a means to understand the various ways people read texts.

Literary, witty, and insightful, this short tome takes the sting out of modern literary theory without sparing the reader the promised introduction to it. It also includes the study of the laws that determine the development of the various aspects of artisticliterary creation, laws related to the development of different genres, literary language, versification, and argument. All literary theories are lenses through which we can see texts. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literatures goals and methods. In literary theory, a text is any object that can be read, whether this object is a work of literature, a street sign, an arrangement of buildings on a city block, or styles of clothing. A critical overview of literary criticism in english literature.

Introduction to modern literary theory kristi siegel. One of the first schools of literary theory to attempt to systematize literary. Literary theory elaborates some principles for to analyze the literary works. Criticism is often divided into the following types in literary and critical histories. The information below is meant merely as a guide or introduction to modern literary theories and trends. A literary work is converted into an activity that goes on in a readers mind, and what had been features of the work itselfincluding narrator, plot, characters, style, and structureare less important than the connection between a readers experience and the text. Literary theory internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Associated with romanticism, a philosophy defining aesthetic value as the primary goal in understanding literature. Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists. Pdf a critical overview of literary criticism in english. Formalism, also called russian formalism, russian russky formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism. Critical essays are the most common form of literary criticism, and they are. Listed below are some of the most commonly identified schools of literary theory, along with their major authors.

In this video i will show you 7 major types of criticism. In the sciences, theories are systems for understanding how an aspect of the world works. Will help the reader draw conclusions and better understand the story. You can shorthand call them the isms because theyre all isms, i think, most of them. All of them have a different point of view regarding the relationship between the universe, the work, the artist and the audience. Expressive criticism treats a written material primarily in relevance to the author. Literary theories are ideas and methods developed around literature that reveal the underlying principles of literature interpreting meaning, themes, or. Feminist criticism is concerned with the ways in which literature and other cultural productions reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women tyson 83. For centuries, scholars, academics and critics have fought over the terms and methods of literary analysis. There are many different types, or schools, of literary criticism that can be applied to works of literature.

The literary theory is a boarder concept incorporating various strict senses and merits for the systematic study of the nature of literature and provides a complete set of methods for analyzing literature. The literary in theory cultural memory in the present. Literary theory can be daunting for a person whos never studied theory. Literary theory definition and meaning collins english. Deborah appleman a very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. Some have looked at a story or play from a moral stance, considering how values are represented in a text.

Such a pleasure is regarded as superior to all others, for, it has a dual purpose i. Some popular topics and areas for literary analysis are. When theories are explained briefly, a necessary reduction in their complexity and richness occurs. However, various literary theories give us pathways to walk in interpreting a work of literature, providing methods and particular parts of the work to look for in order to assist in. Cullers account of the fortunes of the literary in theory, of the resistance to theory, and of key theoretical concepts. Introduction summaries new criticism archetypal criticism psychoanalytic criticism feminist criticism marxist criticism readerresponse criticism cultural studies new historicism deconstruction conclusion. The major schools of literary theory the analysis of a literary work, unlike that of a chemical compound or mathematical equation, often engages the subjective interpretation of the reader.

Understanding the social structure a way of life of a certain time. Various types of literary analysis schoolworkhelper. Such analysis may be based from a variety of critical approaches or movements, e. What are four types of literary theories according to. The four types of literary theories according to abrams are. To help you decide on a literary theory and to begin analyzing your chosen text, consider the questions presented below. Another critic might evaluate a poem in terms of its form. Does not designate any one critical theory, but focuses on the activity of reading a work of literature. A very short introduction jonathan culler has always been about the best person around at explaining literary theory without oversimplifying it or treating it with polemical bias. Read literary criticism of contemporary work and, if at all possible, of poems similar to your own, which will at least help you anticipate the reception likely from editors and workshop presentations. There is nothing outside the text, everything is within the text. Literary theory questia, your online research library and paper writing resource, contains thousands of scholarly articles and books on literary theory. It is a coherent set of signs that transmits some kind of informative message.

The proponents of each theory believe their theory is the theory, but most of us interpret texts according to the rules of several different theories at a time. It is used as a vehicle to interpret or analyze various types of literature, including poetry, novels, and plays. Literary criticism and theory page 9 incidental to the pleasure it gives. Literary analysis is a critical response to a literary text in the form of a critical essay or an oral commentary. Research has moved from literary criticism to literary theory, which is not written for ready comprehension. The major schools of literary theory american pragmatism. The major schools of literary theory student guide. Introduction to literary theory purdue writing lab.

Literary criticism and theory university of calicut. Literary theories were developed as a means to understand the various ways people read texts. Opoyaz, an acronym for russian words meaning society for the study of poetic language, founded in 1916 at st. This set of signs is considered in terms of the informative messages content, rather than in terms of its physical form or the. Responding to the european model of scientific empiricism. Besides founding a political party and societal philosophy. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Research paper topics about literary theory online. Also known as schools of criticism, literary lenses allow for an adaptive study of literature that reveals layered and variable meanings. Abrams was an american literary critic, studies the romantic period in english literature with revolutionary outcomes using an innovative analysis, he divided the theories inf or main groups the first one is interest in the relationship between the work and the universe, second one in the relationship between the work and the audience, the third in the relationship between the work and. Examples of how to use literary theory in a sentence from the cambridge dictionary labs. This resource will help you begin the process of understanding literary theory and schools of criticism and how they are used in the academy.