Literary Criticism The New Criticism Feminist Criticism

New Criticism A phenomenon of the 1940s – 1960s The poem should be treated as an independent and self sufficient verbal object The critic is most interested in metaphors, symbols, the verbal artistry of the poem The critic has no concern with the author’s life, the conditions of the work’s creation, the conditions of the reader’s experience, or any political or social causes

Feminist Criticism A phenomenon of the 1970s and forward Developed by feminists who were also professors The poem, like any cultural object, both expresses and helps create the rules by which the culture operates – its ideology

The feminist critic’s job Find and make available to readers the work of women writers throughout history Investigate the writing of men and women to make evident the sexual politics in the work Use literature and literary criticism to free women from the restraints of patriarchy