NEW

CRITICISM
What they
have
heard What you
about say or
you? do?
New Criticism
a text must be evaluated
based only on the text itself

Close reading
 CLOSE
READING
● Taking a part a text and
looking at its individual
Text stands elements (themes, setting,
in isolation plot, and structure)
Prior to the 1920s, literary
criticism took a largely
historical slant.

Historical background
and history of the
language used
1929 -- a literary critic at
Cambridge by the name of
Ivor Armstrong Richards
published Practical
Criticism.
 Main subjects
1939 – Richards began teaching
at Harvard and influenced a
new American literary theory

1940s- John Crowe Ransom

published New Criticism
In focusing on the text itself, New Critics
intentionally ignore the author and the
reader.
 Affective
Fallacy
claims that we shouldn't waste time
thinking about the effect a text may
have on the reader, because then we're
polluting the text with our own personal
baggage.
 Intentional Fallacy
author's intentions don't matter,
because the text itself carries its own
value. So, even if we're reading a book
by a renowned author like Shakespeare,
we shouldn't let the author's reputation
taint our evaluation of the text.
SYMBOLS
All texts will have symbols– ideas
that are not literal

Some paradox arises from the

multiple meanings of a symbol
PARADOX

Any text will have inherent

contradictions
AMBIGUITY
These contradictions and symbols
lead to areas of ambiguity
 TENSION
Ambiguity leads to tension within the
text– competing ideas and meanings
that need interpretation
 IRONY
One way to resolve some of the
tension is through an ironic
interpretation of at least part of the
text
 PATTERN
Look for repeated patterns– are
certain types of ambiguities present
through the whole text? Certain type
of tension? These are patterns that
lead to the theme.
 UNITY
The patterns will lead us to unity– a
final unified meaning (or theme) for
the text as a whole. This is the goal of
NEW CRITICISM
 from JULIUS CAESAR

Brutus: There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat
And we must take the current when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the Symbols of the sea:
affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on Competing meanings:
to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life Sea- vast, open,
Is bound in shallows and in uncontrolled
miseries. Sea – tides, controlled,
On such a full sea are we now predictable
afloat
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the
affairs of men. PARADOX
Which, taken at the flood, leads on The sea is both something
to fortune; uncontrolled and
Omitted, all the voyage of their life overwhelmingly wild and
Is bound in shallows and in something with a
miseries. predictable pattern
On such a full sea are we now
afloat
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the
AMBIGUITY
affairs of men.
“Affairs of men” are
Which, taken at the flood, leads on
compared to the sea. So are
to fortune; the affairs of men
Omitted, all the voyage of their life controllable and
Is bound in shallows and in predictable? Or are they
miseries. wind and boundless?
On such a full sea are we now
afloat
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the
TENSION
affairs of men.
Men are “afloat” in the sea.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on
to fortune; So the tension is between
Omitted, all the voyage of their life men who are at the mercy
Is bound in shallows and in of the sea and nature itself.
miseries.
On such a full sea are we now
afloat
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the
IRONY
affairs of men.
Mean are leading voyages
Which, taken at the flood, leads on
to find their ‘fortunes’ and
to fortune; their ‘ventures’ are at stake.
Omitted, all the voyage of their life They have the illusion of
Is bound in shallows and in control. In reality, they are
miseries. ‘afloat’. The men are the
ones who have lost control.
On such a full sea are we now
afloat
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR
Brutus: There is a tide in the
PATTERN
affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on Constant
to fortune; juxtaposition of man
Omitted, all the voyage of their life in the sea. Men
Is bound in shallows and in seeking, the tides
miseries.
On such a full sea are we now
working against
afloat them.
And we must take the current
when it serves
Or lose our ventures.
from JULIUS CAESAR UNITY
Brutus: There is a tide in the Men act under the
affairs of men.
illusion of control,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on
to fortune; when in reality, they
Omitted, all the voyage of their life have none. The
Is bound in shallows and in ‘tides’ of fate truly
miseries. have power and
On such a full sea are we now men must find a
afloat
way to work within
And we must take the current
when it serves those confines
Or lose our ventures.
Clarifications?