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New
Criticism |
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New criticism focuses entirely on a text, disregarding the author and the reader. By only looking at the work itself you will be able to see how all of the elements in a text unite in order to make the work become whole. Look at all the formal features of writing and then think about how they relate to each other.
| ►How do
I approach a text with new criticism? ►Application Example ►For Further Exploration... |
There are three questions you should ask when analyzing a text with new criticism.
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- Application Example
If you were to approach Hamlet with new criticism you could look at elements in the text that unify the work, such as the different levels of poison present in the play. You could also question whether Hamlet was truly mad by tracing his actions as the play progresses.
- Jean-Leon Gerome's web page explains and identifies the concepts of new criticism.
- The Johns Hopkins University Press provides a historical account of new criticism.
- Warren Hedges of Southern Oregon University explains the concepts, assumptions, and critics associated with new criticism.
Kelly Marcks, 18 Dec 2002