Critical Examination of Brooks The Formalist Critics

Brooks starts his essay by listing â€Å"articles of faith I could subscribe to† (Brooks 19) and pointing out statements about literary criticism that might go with a formalist criticism. Yet, he questions that list its end, and seems to complain that his that his writings have been largely misunderstood. What his statements have to do with faith in connection with literature is up to the reader, since in one of his articles he specifically mentions, â€Å"literature is not a surrogate for religion† (Brooks 19). He seems to contradict himself on purpose and keep his central thesis hard to reach. In evaluating some of his â€Å"faith articles†, the reader can have a critical examination of his critique of his formalist criticism. His first statement is†¦show more content†¦Criticism that focuses on the biography and psychology of the writer ends up focusing on the process of creating the literature, and not on the work’s structure. Brooks therefore refutes the authors self-confessed intense feelings literary value,† If we heard that Mr. Guest testified that he put his heart and soul into his poem, we would not be very much impressed† (Brooks 21). He mentions that if Hemingway states the same thing, people might be more impressed, but a statement to this sort is not proving any literary value, not even for a famous author. Another, related item he refutes is the feeling of the literary critic, in case he is moved by the work he is reading, this indicates, as well that the work possesses not necessarily a great literary value. Despite contesting several claims, however, Brooks thinks that not all criticism should â€Å"be self-effacing and analytic†, but that the critic, who is probably involved in many activities, needs â€Å"to have a clear idea of what his specific job as a critic is† (Brooks 22). He seems to contradict himself in this statement, as well. Earlier he states that the critic should avoid bringing his own feelings into criticizing the work he is currently working with, yet he states that the same critic should not be only self-effacing and analytic. It seems to be difficult to go the path of not getting involved and yet to retain the qualities toShow MoreRelatedThe Formalist Critics, by Cleanth Brooks1513 Words   |  7 PagesCleanth Brooks writes in his essay â€Å"The Formalist Critics† from 1951 about criticism that formalist critics encounter and tries to show these arguments from his point of view and even indicates common ground with other literary critics. Clea nth Brooks argues that we lose the intrinsically obvious points of works of literature if we view the work through the different lenses of literary theory, however we are always viewing the literary work through a subjective lens, since the author and the criticRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 Pagesscience, biology, and philosophy. Herbert Spencer was born in Derby on April 27, 1820. His childhood, described in An Autobiography (1904), reflected the attitudes of a family which was known on both sides to include religious nonconformists, social critics, and rebels. His father, a teacher, had been a Wesleyan, but he separated himself from organized religion as he did from political and social authority. Spencers father and an uncle saw that he received a highly individualized education that emphasized