The study, appraisal, and interpretation of literature is known as literary criticism (or literary studies). Literary theory, which is the philosophical debate of literature's purposes and techniques, has often affected modern literary criticism. Literary criticism is frequently written in the form of an essay or a book. It can also be found in journals, newspapers, and on the internet.
Literary criticism and theory deal with such topics as what makes a work of art great, the differences between popular and serious art, the nature of tragedy, the origins of poetry, and many other issues related to writing and its representations in culture.
Literary critics examine works of all kinds of literature from ancient myths to modern novels. They try to understand what qualities these works have that make them interesting and important. They may seek to explain how certain events are reflected in poems or plays and why they matter to people. Critics can also use their knowledge of literature to criticize certain practices such as violence in movies or television shows. Finally, critics may produce new works of their own by creating essays, articles, or books.
The term "theory" is used to describe any set of principles or ideas about something that serves to guide our understanding of it. Theories can be scientific theories such as evolution or global warming, but they can also be critical theories such as Freud's psychoanalysis or Marx's communism.
Literary criticism is a literature genre in which an author examines a literary piece, such as a work of fiction, a drama, or poetry. Alternatively, some works of literary criticism explore how a certain theory of interpretation influences or refutes another critic's reading of a work. Literary critics often use language analysis tools such as lexicography and grammar to explain themes and devices in the text.
Many critics divide literary works into different categories based on their subject matter. For example, some writers of literary criticism analyze poems by comparing them to other poems or to classical music. Other critics study novels by looking at them in comparison to other works of fiction (e.g., plays, movies) or non-fictional sources (e.g., government reports). Still others examine collections of poems or stories by considering them in relation to one another (e.g., a series).
While many critics focus on individual works of literature, some others write about topics that they believe are relevant to the study of art. These people are called "critical theorists" because they focus on why certain works of art are important or significant.
Some critical theories include psychoanalysis, which focuses on the mind; Marxism, which studies the influence of class on art; and feminism, which investigates gender roles in literature.
Others may focus on a particular time period or place.
Close reading of a literary work is involved in literary criticism, whether you are debating about a certain interpretation, comparing stories or poems, or employing a theory to analyze literature. Don't describe the plot. Interpret the story by determining what it says about human nature, what kind of people enjoy or are harmed by the story's events, and so on.
What methods does literary criticism use? Criticism uses many different methods to interpret texts such as: analyzing language use, drawing conclusions from context, background information, etc. The most common method is called "analogical reasoning." This means that critics will try to think like the author or like someone else in order to understand their intentions behind certain words or actions. For example, if I were to read that you like dogs but don't like cats, I would assume that you are a dog person. Critics may also look at other works by the same author to see how they are similar or different. For example, if there are some themes that appear in several of her novels, then the critic might conclude that these are important elements in the writer's imagination and might give insight into her mind set.
What kinds of things critique literary works? Literary critics study various types of texts including: novels, plays, poems, and songs. They also study art forms such as photography and film.
Feminist literary criticism is literary criticism that is informed by feminist theory or, more broadly, by feminist politics. This manner of thinking about and analyzing works has affected and enlarged the canon of what is generally taught, as well as altered and expanded the way literary texts are regarded and examined. It is not limited to women's studies courses but is relevant to courses in many disciplines, including English, American Studies, Literature, Creative Writing, Film/Video Arts.
In its most basic form, feminist literary criticism begins with questions such as "Who benefits from the representation of women in literature?" and "How does this representation affect women as individuals and as a group?" In addition to these foundational questions, other topics common to much feminist critical work include representations of sexuality, violence against women, female self-representation, and issues surrounding gender identity. Broadly speaking, feminist critics aim to show how patriarchal structures influence the creation and reception of texts, especially novels; they often argue for changes in society so as to improve women's lives.
Many feminist critics focus on how certain characters or themes in books relate to women as a class. They may examine myths about women's nature (that is, the beliefs about what it means to be feminine or masculine) and how those myths affect writings about women, or they may look at how men and women are portrayed together in art (e.'terature').
Copyright © 2020 - 2022 Authors Cast Inc.
