Principles of new criticism

The principles of New Criticism, also known as New Formalism, are a set of literary theories and approaches developed in the early 20th century by scholars such as I.A. Richards, William Empson, and Cleanth Brooks. The movement sought to move away from traditional literary criticism, which focused on the author's intentions, historical context, and biographical information, and instead emphasized the analysis of the text itself, without reference to external factors.

The key principles of New Criticism are:

1. Formalism: New Critics believed that the text itself is the primary object of study, and that the reader's task is to analyze the text's formal structures, such as its language, imagery, and symbolism.
2. Autonomy of the text: New Critics argued that the text is a self-contained unit, independent of external factors such as the author's intentions, historical context, or biographical information.
3. Close reading: New Critics advocated for a close, detailed reading of the text, paying attention to the language, imagery, and other literary devices used by the author.
4. Intrinsic meaning: New Critics believed that the meaning of the text is inherent in the text itself, and that the reader's task is to uncover this meaning through close analysis.
5. Irony and ambiguity: New Critics were interested in the ways in which texts use irony, ambiguity, and other literary devices to create complex meanings and challenge the reader's expectations.
6. Organic unity: New Critics believed that a good poem or play is a unified whole, in which all the parts work together to create a coherent and meaningful whole.
7. The importance of the individual word: New Critics believed that the individual word is the building block of language, and that the meaning of the text is created through the relationships between individual words.
8. The role of the reader: New Critics believed that the reader plays an active role in creating the meaning of the text, and that the reader's interpretation is not necessarily the same as the author's intended meaning.

Some of the key concepts and techniques associated with New Criticism include:

• Paradox: The idea that a text can contain multiple, seemingly contradictory meanings or interpretations.
• Irony: The use of language or situation to convey a meaning that is opposite of what is explicitly stated.
• Symbolism: The use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
• Imagery: The use of language to create vivid sensory experiences for the reader.
• Allusion: The use of references to other texts, myths, or cultural icons to create meaning and context.
• Anachronism: The use of language or references that are out of place or anachronistic, often to create irony or surprise.

Some of the key texts associated with New Criticism include:

• I.A. Richards, Principles of Literary Criticism (1924)
• William Empson, Seven Types of Ambiguity (1924)
• Cleanth Brooks, The Well Wrought Urn (1947)
• T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land (1922)

New Criticism had a significant influence on literary theory and criticism in the mid-20th century, and its principles and techniques continue to be studied and debated by scholars today.