Criticism
The word criticism has been derived from the Greek
work Kritikos which means able to discern and decide. In its strict sense it
means judgement and this sense commonly colours our use of it even when it is
most broadly employed. The term criticism more than the mere judgement.
A common man choosing or rejecting a thing applies his
critical faculty. But when we are to translate the idea into exact language, it
seems difficult, if not possible.
In St. Augustine words:
“If not asked, I know; if you ask me; I know not”
The word criticism has been used in many senses, from
“fault finding” (New English Dictionary) to “the distinguish of beauty” (E. B.
Browning)
Victor Hugo declared,
“Is the work Good or Bad? _that’s a criticism domain”
Some have taken criticism for appraisal, some for
exposition and some for analysis.
The word “Criticism” has been in use as a term since
the 17th Century. Various definitions have given by the critics.
Criticism is “the art of judging or evaluation with
knowledge and propriety the beauties and faults of works of art or literature”
_Webster’s New International Dictionary
Criticism is “the art of estimating the qualities and
character of literary or artistic work; the function or work of a Critic”.
_New English Dictionary
“Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle,
was meant a standard of judging well; the chief part of which is, to observe
those excellences which should delight a reasonable reader”.
_Dryden,
Prefaces and Other Essays
Criticism is “the conscious evaluation and
appreciation of a work of art, either according to the critic’s personal taste or
according to some accepted aesthetic ideas”
_Shipley’s
dictionary of World Literature 1943
Criticism is “the art of judging the qualities and
values of an aesthetic object, whether in Literature or the fine arts.”
_Encyclopedia
Britanica 11th Ed.
“Criticism is
that department of thought which either seeks to find out what poetry is, what
its use is, what desires it satisfies, why it is written and why read and
recited; or which _assesses actual poetry_ (There are) these two theoretical
limits of criticism; at once of which we attempt to answer the questions ‘what
is poetry?’ and at the other ‘is this a good poem?’”
_T.S. Eliot, the Use of Poetry and the Use of Criticism
These definitions distinctively fall into two groups;
one giving importance to Judgement, the other, to Impartial Inquiry; the one is
the enquiry into what ought to be, the other the enquiry into what is. If we
combine them together, we have this definition:
“Criticism is an intelligent inquiry
into a work of art to answer three questions: what has the artist tried to
express? How has he succeeded in expressing it? Was it worth expressing?”
(a What has the artist tried to
express?
Answer to this
question includes the analysis and interpretation of the idea or views
underlying the work of art. In this respect, our approach may be
impressionistic, comparative, historical, psychological or scientific.
( How has he succeeded in
expressing it?
Answer to this question includes discussion on the
medium of artist, and study of techniques and rule governing them. Over
legislation has been the bane of official criticism; and originality,
especially in work of creative imagination, has been condemned because it did
not conform to existing rule. Our approach, in this respect, may be classical,
or romantic, giving more importance to tradition or originality respectively.
(c Was it worth expressing?
Answer to this
question implies judgement and decision. Judgement is essential to criticism
because intelligent analysis and evaluation depends heavily on the exercise of
judgement. A critic may judge either according to his personal taste or
according to some accepted aesthetic ideas.
Three
main activities of literary criticism
Literary criticism is the discipline of interpreting,
analyzing and evaluating works of literature. Literature is most commonly
defined as works of writing that have lasted over the years because they deal
with ideas of timeless and universal interest with exceptional artistry and
power. This can include poems, stories, novels, plays, essays, memoirs, and so
on. Each of the three main activities of literary criticism – interpreting,
analyzing, and evaluating –gives rise to different questions.
The Interpretive Question: What does
this work of literature mean? When we interpret a work, we set forth one or
more of its possible meanings. Reading is like a potluck picnic to which the
writer brings the words and the readers bring the meanings. Literary works
speak to us all in different ways, and one of the pleasures of talking about
books is the chance to check out all the different ideas other readers bring to
the picnic.
The Analytic Question: How does this
piece of literature work? When we analyze a text, we get under the hood to see
how the engine operates. Analysis is technical: pulling things apart, examining
relationships, figuring out effects. We are not asking what a poem means
anymore but how the author makes it click.
The Evaluative Question: Is this
work of literature any good? When evaluate a work, we form a personal judgment
about its work: Is this a great novel or a rotten one? Why? Does this poem have
any value? Why? What does this work of literature add – or subtract – from the
world?
Reference
Ahmad, M :Literary Criticism
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