A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature Chapter 3: Formalisms A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature

Chapter 3: Formalism Abandons historical and biographical information and focuses on the work as a separate entity Formalistic critics examine the intrinsic factors of the work’s structure “Art for art’s sake”

Chapter 3 I. The Process of Formalist Analysis: Making the Close Reader Elements of prose and poetry, terms, structure, imagery II. A Brief History of Formalist Criticism A. The Course of Half a Century

History of Formalism (cont’d.) B. Backgrounds of Formalist Theory C. The New Criticism The “Fugitives” (Ransom, Tate, Brooks, Warren); relationship of metaphysical poets to modern poets (cf Eliot); important textbooks such as Understanding Poetry and Understanding Fiction (Brooks and Warren); other texts by Gordon, Tate, Wimsatt, Kermode D. Reader-Response Criticism: A Reaction

Key Terms and Devices III. Constants of the Formalist Approach: Some Key Concepts, Terms, and Devices Form and Organic Form (Schorer): “the difference between content, or experience, and achieved content, or art, is technique” B. Texture, Image, Symbol Crucial role of imagery and symbol; metaphor versus allegory

Key Terms (cont’d.) C. Fallacies Affective, intentional D. Point of View First-, second-, and third-person; reliability E. The Speaker’s Voice F. Tension, Irony, Paradox

Using the Formalist Approach Making the Close Reader, p. 74 History of Formalist Criticism, p. 76 The “New Criticism,” p. 78 “A slumber did my spirit steal…,” p. 93

Application of the Formalistic Approach The formalist critic dissects the poem solely using structural devices (imagery, diction, metaphor) to convey the meaning of “To His Coy Mistress” Prominent motifs of the poem: Space/Time metaphor Sexuality