A LITERARY CRITICISM : RUSSIAN FORMALISM

 What is Russian Formalism?

A literary criticism that formed in Russia in the early decades of 1900s. It is a reaction against
unclarity of previous theories and aims to initiate an approach based on a scientific method
and language with a special language, specially in poetry.
 What the formalists advocate?
Formalists advovacted that literary scholarship must be distinct that was seperated from
pscyhology or sociology. They tried to form a critical espression that is more scientific and
objective even if they used symbolist criticsm partly. They studied the way of seperation of
poetry and make a language that formed the everday life “defamliarized. “
 Who are the main figures of Russian Formalism?
Victor Shklovsky

He infuenced in Russian literature in 1920s. His concept was ostranenie. It means that it aims
to maket he reader to give a new point of view on world newly in a unusual way.

Roman Jakobson

Jakobson formulated the concept of “literariness” Jakobson advocated the concept of

metaphor and metonymye and suggests that language has a bipolar structure. He offers that
litariness makes the reader a different experience by using the formal features of a text.

Boris Eikhenbaum
He involved in the Society for Study of Poetic Language (OPOJAZ) and contribute to
definite their approach with his work ‘Theory of the "Formal Method" ‘. He was wronged by
the campaign against "rootless cosmopolitanism," but he carried his works in science.

 What is OPOJAZ?

It was founded in 1916 by linguistics and critics in St. Petersburg. It was made up Viktor
Shklovsky, Boris Eikhenbaum, Osip Brik, Boris Kušner and Yury Tynianov. It
contributed to the development of Russian Formalism and semiotics. It was put an end
because of political reasons and “ formalism” term was an insult in the Soviet State.

 MAIN TERMS IN RUSSIAN FORMALISM

Defamiliarization: It is a concept proposed by Viktor Shklovsky in his Art as Technique. It

refers that a literary language is used to make an ordinary objects different. It focuses on form
based on usage of language and seperates the poetic language. In this way, it is discovered the
unique side of a literary work. It aims to express familiar things in a odd way and make the
readers to examine their perception of reality, make a new definition of it. It reflects a poetic
language that conveys an impression implicitly rather than direct ways.
For example:
“…His eyes are obsessed with the sight in the mirror. He’s looking at it intently, the way one
examines a Grecian urn in a museum. And the image, too, is broken; put together, glued into
place, but complete nevermore… “
A mirror is a very mundane object. We look in mirrors all the time. But, unless in rare
moments of deep introspection, we don’t quite think about it. The text here takes advantage of
this, turning the mirror into something that is more than just a reflection. It underlines the
conflict Paul feels, in terms of struggling with his own volition.
Foregrounding: It is a technique created by Jan Mukarovsky. It aims to catch the reader’s
attention to understand the insight of the text. The aim of the tehnique is to point out how it is
said rather than what is said.
“A grief ago, She who was who I hold, the fats and flower, Or, water-lammed, from the
scythe-sided thorn, Hell wind and sea, A stem cementing, wrestled up the tower, Rose maid
and male, Or, masted venus, through the paddler's bowl Sailed up the sun.”
MAIN TENETS IN THE RUSSIAN FORMALISM
1. It is advocated that the poetic language is not the same as the common or everyday
language.
2. The use of syntax, figures of speech.words, and sounds is important.
3. They strongly object to symbolism and subjectivity in a work.
4. There is a distinct difference between art and ordinary life.
5. Formalists belived that the reader must understand the text via literary techniques.
6. Formalists advocated that sociology, psychology and history should be separated from
the literature.
7. The main concern is form in the text.
Sevinç Yavuz 200216028