Historical Approach

Among the various approaches to understanding literary works such as formalist, biographical,
psychological, gender strategies- the historical approach is one of the oldest and one of the most widely
used critical approach. The historical approach involves understanding the events and experience
surrounding the composition of the work, especially the life of the author, and using the findings to
interpret that work of literature.

The historical approach to literature simply means that the critic- the person trying to understand any
work of literature- looks beyond the literature itself to the broader historical and cultural event that
might influence the author whose work is being considered.

The critic will begin to research what was going on in the world at the time the literary work was being
written to see if the author either consciously or unconsciously incorporated outside forces into the
literary work.

For example, when we read the Anglo- Saxon poem Beowulf, which was written sometime around 700
to 800 AD, we notice that the poet often refers both to pagan gods and rituals and to Christianity. At,
times, the poet may refer to the pagan concept of fate, WRYD, and two lines later refer to the will of
God, clearly an intermingling of the Anglo-Saxon’s first religion, paganism, with a religion they adopted
beginning in about 600 Ad, Christianity. To understand this mix of religions in the work of literature,
critics try to understand exactly how and when the Anglo- Saxon people were converted from paganism
to Christianity, so they look outside the text of Beowulf to see what events led to the transition from
paganism to Christianity and, more important for the literary critic, the timing of that transition.
Understanding the timing may help literary critics to understand when the poem was composed.

In historical approach you need to study the author’s life and experiences, as that was seen as the only
way to really understand a piece of literature.

The historical approach, then usually helps the critic and readers to understand all the events and forces
that might affect the author as he or she is composing the work, and this gives us a more comprehensive
understanding to the work itself.
Historical Approach

 Among the various approaches to understanding literary works such as formalist, biographical,
psychological, gender strategies- the historical approach is one of the oldest and one of the
most widely used critical approach.

 The historical approach involves understanding the events and experience surrounding the
composition of the work, especially the life of the author, and using the findings to interpret
that work of literature.

 The historical approach to literature simply means that the critic- the person trying to
understand any work of literature- looks beyond the literature itself to the broader historical
and cultural event that might influence the author whose work is being considered.

 The critic will begin to research what was going on in the world at the time the literary work was
being written to see if the author either consciously or unconsciously incorporated outside
forces into the literary work.

 The historical approach, then usually helps the critic and readers to understand all the events
and forces that might affect the author as he or she is composing the work, and this gives us a
more comprehensive understanding to the work itself.