What is Literary Criticism? Types of Literary Criticism

Definition of Literary Criticism

The most common as well as the simplest meaning of Criticism is fault-finding. But, literary criticism is an entirely different type of engagement.

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Literary Criticism is also very difficult to define Criticism. The authors and critics from antiquity upto the present day express different as Well as contradictory opinions on the nature and functions of criticism. 

The generally accepted common notion regarding criticism is- The act, skill, or profession of making discriminating judgements and evaluations, especially of literary or other artistic works.

Types of Literary Criticism

The art of literary criticism is a living process. It is bound to pass through changes with the ever-changing trends in sociological concept. A number of types have been originated since the ancient period; Some of them are still in vogue, some have turned outdated.  George Watson in his The Literary Critics has divided criticism into three main types-

1. Legislative Criticism

2. Theoretical Criticism and

3. Descriptive Criticism

But this very task can be of many types. They are discussed here:

1. Legislative Criticism

This is the earliest type of criticism.  The books of rhetoric are also included in  it. It was practiced by the Greek. During the Renaissance it became popular in England.  It shows no regard for individuality and inspiration and lays stress upon the equipment of style.  Horace, Sir Philip Sidney, George Puttenham (The Art of English Poesie, 1589), Thomas Campion (Observations in the Art of English Poesy, 1602), and Samuel Daniel are among the writers who followed this type.  They believed that the art of poetry could be created following a few set formulae.  This style is obsolete now.

2. Theoretical Criticism

This type of criticism pays attention to the aesthetics of a piece of writing Sir Philip Sidney's Apologie for Poetrie is the second work in this category as “De re poetica” written by Richard Wills is considered as the first one. Coleridge's “Biographia Literaria” falls into this category also. The Victorians, Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde followed this theory. I. A.  Richards revived this literary form in the twentieth century. On the very first page of “Priciples of Literary Criticism” he clearly confessed that it was his decision to pursue the concept of aestheties for composing that book. Dr.F.R.Leavis first objected against this theory. To him, literary criticism and philosophy are two distinct and different branches of knowledge. So, a critic who is also a human being can distort the complete appreciation of a work due to the insufficiency in his own appreciative experience of a literary work. Still, theoretical criticism is in vogue even today, as there must be a hidden theory of art at the root of every appreciation.

3. Descriptive Criticism

This type is the youngest one and by far the most widely practiced type of criticism. It is directed to the reader, not to the writer. The steps followed in this type are-discussion, analysis, and appreciation. Dryden is considered to be the Father of this type. His “Essay of Dramatic Poesie” is the first example of this type. In it he made self-analysis to explain why he wrote his poems, plays and their prefaces. His only object was to defend his own position. The theory “Art for Art's sake” is dependent on this very theory. The present and popular form of this theory is apprehended in the concept “art as a criticism of life”.

The other types of criticism are-

4. Judicial Criticism

5. Inductive Criticism

6. Evaluative Criticism

7. Historical Criticism

8. Exegetical Criticism

9. Comparative Criticism

10. Biographical Sociological Criticism

11. Formal Criticism

12. Interpretative Criticism

13. Psychological Criticism

14. Marxist Criticism

15. Citigiem Criticism

16. Impressionistic Criticism

Function of Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism is an intricate assignment that can be undertaken legitimately by a truly sensible person. In this sentence two words are of real puzzling connotations which usually lead casual readers to a labyrinth of confusion. The words are-

1. Legitimately and
2. Sensible

Critics, since the period of antiquity, have been expressing dissention regarding the legitimate function of criticism. At this point, we must mention another fact that “Function of Criticism”, is synonymous with “Function of a Critie” as CRITICISM itself is a non-entity that becomes very lively, charming, and didactic in the hands of a true sensible critic. 

The first and foremost task of criticism is to provide the critic himself with lot of pleasure; it is a way to pay tribute to another author. 

Secondly, a criticism is not only fault-finding, but finding out the beads of information which can be used for constructing the gariand that can be helpful for the apprehension of the contemporary socioal-political-economic-religious-cultural-individual aspects. An authentic critical work will also be helpful for having comparative study of the same with the works of the same branch of previous epoches.

A good critic can render his readers affability to the authors who remain unaffable to them. He points out the multifarious interesting turns in a piece of writing. And these turns may remain hidden in various components of that writing. It may be its diction, its imagery, its character-sketching, its setting, its allusions, its cricumlocution, and all other major and minor features of a creative writing.