Question

New criticism give prime importance to the :

• A. text
• B. background house
• C. author's life
• D. political aspects

Answer 1

Answer:

A. text

New Criticism: A Focus on the Text

Core Tenets of New Criticism

• The Text Itself: New Criticism emphasizes that the meaning and value of a literary work reside solely within the text itself. It advocates for a close reading of the words on the page.
• Autonomy of the Work: The poem or literary piece is considered an independent object, separate from the author's intentions, the reader's response, or the historical/social context in which it was written.
• Rejection of External Evidence: New Critics deliberately excluded biographical details of the author, historical background, or reader interpretations from their analysis. This is often referred to as the intentional fallacy (assuming author's intent) and the affective fallacy (judging a work by its emotional effect on the reader).
• Close Reading: This involves meticulous examination of the text's language, imagery, symbolism, meter, rhyme, and other formal elements to uncover its internal coherence and meaning.
• Organic Unity: A key concept is that all parts of a poem contribute to a unified whole. Contradictions or tensions within the text are seen as integral to its complexity and meaning, not flaws.
• Key Figures and Works: Prominent New Critics include T.S. Eliot (though he predates the formal movement, his essays were influential), I.A. Richards, William Empson, John Crowe Ransom, Cleanth Brooks, W.K. Wimsatt, and Monroe Beardsley. Brooks's The Well Wrought Urn is a seminal work.
• Impact on Literary Study: New Criticism dominated literary studies in the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States, and profoundly influenced how literature was taught and analyzed in universities. Its methods are still foundational for many analytical approaches.
• Common Exam Focus: Questions often test understanding of the New Critics' emphasis on the text, their rejection of authorial biography and historical context, and their analytical tools like close reading and identification of paradox, irony, and ambiguity.