New Criticism Lesson: Key Concepts & Literary Analysis

Lesson Overview

• What Is New Criticism?
• Key Figures in New Criticism
• What Are the Core Concepts in New Criticism?
• Applying New Criticism: How to Analyze a Text
• Example of New Criticism Analysis
• What Are the Limitations of New Criticism?
• Why New Criticism Still Matters?

This New Criticism lesson will guide students through the key principles of New Criticism, introduce major figures in the movement, and explain important literary concepts related to this approach. It will also provide practical steps for applying New Criticism in literary analysis. Throughout the lesson, specific quiz questions will be referenced to reinforce understanding and ensure students can confidently analyze texts using this method.

What Is New Criticism?

New Criticism is a formalist movement that focuses on analyzing a literary text as a self-contained object. This means that when analyzing a poem or novel, a critic should only focus on the text itself, without considering the author's biography, historical context, or reader's emotional responses.

Key Features of New Criticism:

• Close Reading: A careful, detailed analysis of a text's language, imagery, tone, and structure.
• Textual Autonomy: The text is self-contained and should be analyzed on its own terms.
• Objective Analysis: Interpretation should be free of personal bias or authorial intent.
• Formal Elements Matter: Literary devices such as paradox, irony, ambiguity, and tension are central to meaning.

For example, when analyzing a poem using New Criticism, the focus should be on the language, metaphors, symbols, and structure rather than on the poet's personal life.

Key Figures in New Criticism

New Criticism was shaped by American and British scholars in the early 20th century.

John Crowe Ransom's Impact

Ransom's book The New Criticism (1941) defined the principles of the movement. His work rejected biographical criticism and argued that literature should be studied scientifically, focusing on the words on the page rather than external factors.

Mini Quiz: Who are the key figures in New Criticism?
Key Figures: John Crowe Ransom, Cleanth Brooks, Allen Tate, and Robert Penn Warren

What Are the Core Concepts in New Criticism?

New Critics introduced several key concepts that shaped literary analysis:

1. The Intentional Fallacy

• It is the mistake of considering the author's intent in interpretation.
• Meaning exists within the text itself, not in the author's original purpose.
• For example, Shakespeare's Hamlet should be analyzed based on its themes and structure, not on what Shakespeare intended to convey.

Mini Quiz: Who introduced Intentional and Affective Fallacy?
Correct Answer: W.K. Wimsatt & Monroe Beardsley

2. The Affective Fallacy

• It is the mistake of judging a text based on personal emotions or reader response.
• A text's meaning is not determined by how it makes the reader feel but by its formal elements.
• A tragic poem is not considered good simply because it evokes an emotional reaction; its quality depends on literary techniques.

3. Close Reading

Close reading is a detailed and precise analysis of a text's literary elements:

• Diction (word choice)
• Syntax (sentence structure)
• Imagery (descriptive language)
• Irony, Paradox, and Ambiguity (contradictions in meaning)

For example, in Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken, a close reading would focus on the metaphors of choice and regret rather than speculating about Frost's personal experiences.

Mini Quiz: When did close reading emerge?
Correct Answer: 1920s (Britain, I.A. Richards)

4. The Heresy of Paraphrase

Cleanth Brooks argued that reducing a poem to a simple paraphrase destroys its complexity. Poetry's meaning is found in its form, structure, and use of language, not just in its basic ideas.

Mini Quiz: What does Cleanth Brooks consider heresy?
Correct Answer: Paraphrasing a poem

Applying New Criticism: How to Analyze a Text

To apply New Criticism, follow these steps:

Step 1: Read the Text Closely

• Read multiple times, paying attention to patterns and contradictions.
• Identify important words, phrases, and literary devices.

Step 2: Identify Literary Techniques

• Look for imagery, symbolism, paradox, irony, and ambiguity.
• Examine the form and structure, including stanzas, rhyme, and repetition.

Step 3: Determine the Text's Self-Contained Meaning

• Identify themes and meanings that emerge purely from the text.
• Avoid external interpretations, such as the author's life or historical context.

Step 4: Analyze Paradox, Irony, and Ambiguity

• Identify contradictions within the text.
• Consider unexpected meanings that arise.

Step 5: Develop an Interpretation Based on the Text Alone

• Support arguments with textual evidence.
• Use specific quotes and literary terms.

Example of New Criticism Analysis

Let's apply New Criticism to William Blake's poem "The Tyger."

Close Reading:

• The imagery of fire, brightness, and burning suggests both danger and divine power.
• The tiger represents both beauty and terror, creating a paradox.
• The repetition of "What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" emphasizes the mystery of creation.

New Criticism Interpretation:
The poem explores the duality of creation, showing how something can be both beautiful and dangerous. The tiger symbolizes the contradictory nature of existence.

What is not included in this analysis:

• The poet's personal life
• The reader's emotional reaction
• Historical context

What Are the Limitations of New Criticism?

Although New Criticism is a powerful analytical tool, it has limitations:

• It ignores historical and social context, treating texts as isolated works.
• It dismisses the role of the reader in shaping meaning.
• It overemphasizes objectivity, even though interpretation is often subjective.

Despite these criticisms, New Criticism remains a fundamental approach that teaches students how to analyze literature with precision.

Why New Criticism Still Matters?

New Criticism shaped modern literary studies by:

• Developing close reading techniques that are still used today.
• Shifting focus to the text itself, leading to a more scientific approach to literature.
• Influencing modern literary theory, even as new schools of thought emerged.

Mini Quiz: When was New Criticism dominant?
Correct Answer: 1940s – 1950s

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Analyzing Texts: A New Criticism Quiz