LITERARY CRITICISM

ROY S. CAPANGPANGAN

Discussant

LITERARY CRITICISM is the study, evaluation, and

interpretation of Literature. the art of understanding and

explaining literature, and judging it. It includes defining the term literature;

describing and classifying the various kinds of literary works; determining the purpose of literature; and studying literary history.

KINDS OF LITERARY CRITICISM1. TEXTUAL CRITICISM—involves close

attention to the wording and punctuation of various versions of literary work in order to establish a text as close as possible to the one that the author intended.

2. PRACTICAL CRITICISM—involves also a close study of an individual work but its purpose is to grasp the work’s essential and unique quality.

3. BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM—examines the relation between a writer’s life and work.

BROAD CATEGORIES OF CRITICAL THEORY

A. FORMAL CRITICISM—is concerned with such matters as defining literature and adopting criteria for judging literary quality. It also sets up systems of classification.

For example: the Theory of Kinds classifies literary works according to their form—such as drama, epic, lyric, novel, or short story; according to school or movements—Romantic, Neoclassic, or Naturalistic.

B. MORAL CRITICISM—is concerned with the content of a literary work and its relation to moral, ethical, and social values. It may vary according to critic’s own values.

REFERENCES

New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 10

www.wikipedia.org/literarycriticism