English Lit 101: Literary Criticism - Formalism New Criticism Close Reading Text as Autonomous Intentional Fallacy Affective Fallacy Irony Paradox Ambiguity

What It Is

Formalism and New Criticism are literary critical theories that emphasize close reading and the analysis of a text as an autonomous, self-contained unit. This approach rejects external influences, such as the author's intentions or historical context, and focuses on the text's inherent meaning. A canonical example of this approach is T.S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," which uses imagery and symbolism to convey the speaker's inner turmoil, without explicitly stating his emotions.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Autonomous: A text that stands alone, without external influences.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker's inner world is the focus, not his external circumstances.
• Close Reading: A detailed analysis of a text, examining its language, structure, and meaning.
  • Example: Analyzing the repetition of the phrase "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons" in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" reveals the speaker's sense of monotony.
• Intentional Fallacy: The assumption that a text's meaning can be determined by the author's intentions.
  • Example: This fallacy is rejected by Formalism and New Criticism, which focus on the text itself, not the author's intentions.
• Affective Fallacy: The assumption that a text's meaning can be determined by its emotional impact on the reader.
  • Example: This fallacy is also rejected by Formalism and New Criticism, which focus on the text's inherent meaning, not its emotional effect.
• Irony: A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker's declaration "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons" is ironic, as it suggests a sense of monotony and lack of fulfillment.
• Paradox: A statement that contradicts itself.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker says "I am no prophet—and here's no great matter; / I have seen them riding seaward on the waves" – a paradoxical statement that suggests both humility and grandeur.
• Ambiguity: A word or phrase with multiple possible meanings.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the phrase "I should be glad of another's approval" is ambiguous, as it could suggest either a desire for validation or a sense of irony.
• Symbolism: The use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the color yellow is used symbolically to represent the speaker's anxiety and unease.
• Imagery: The use of language to create vivid sensory experiences.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the image of "the yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes" creates a vivid sense of atmosphere and mood.
• Allusion: A reference to a person, place, event, or work of art outside the text.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the allusion to Dante's "Inferno" suggests the speaker's sense of spiritual crisis.
• Tone: The attitude or feeling conveyed by the text.
  • Example: In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the tone is one of anxiety, uncertainty, and introspection.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Formalism and New Criticism are the same thing.
• Correction: Formalism is a broader term that encompasses New Criticism, which is a specific school of thought that emerged in the 1930s.
• Misunderstanding: Close reading is just a matter of reading a text carefully.
• Correction: Close reading involves a detailed analysis of a text, examining its language, structure, and meaning, and is a key aspect of Formalism and New Criticism.
• Misunderstanding: Irony is always a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.
• Correction: Irony can also involve a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what is not expected.

Quick Application / Identification

1. Identify the literary device used in the following excerpt from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo."
   • Answer: Allusion
   • Reason: The reference to Michelangelo suggests the speaker's sense of cultural and artistic refinement.
2. Identify the tone of the following excerpt from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."
   • Answer: Anxiety and uncertainty
   • Reason: The speaker's use of the phrase "measured out my life" suggests a sense of monotony and lack of fulfillment.
3. Identify the literary device used in the following excerpt from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes."
   • Answer: Imagery
   • Reason: The use of sensory language creates a vivid sense of atmosphere and mood.

Last?Minute Revision

• Formalism and New Criticism emerged in the 1930s.
• T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is a canonical example of Formalism and New Criticism.
• Close reading involves a detailed analysis of a text, examining its language, structure, and meaning.
• Irony can involve a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs, or between what is said and what is meant.
• Ambiguity is a word or phrase with multiple possible meanings.
• Symbolism involves the use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
• Imagery involves the use of language to create vivid sensory experiences.
• Allusion involves a reference to a person, place, event, or work of art outside the text.
• Tone is the attitude or feeling conveyed by the text.
• Formalism and New Criticism are not the same thing.
• Close reading is not just a matter of reading a text carefully.
• Irony is not always a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.
• Ambiguity is not always a word or phrase with multiple possible meanings.
• Symbolism is not always the use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.