Literary Criticism vs. Literary Theory Key Difference | Literary Criticism | Literary Theory

Summary

This video explores the fundamental distinction between literary criticism and literary theory. Literary criticism involves the evaluation and interpretation of literature based on established rules from critics like Aristotle and Plato, focusing on the merits and demerits of a work. In contrast, literary theory offers various frameworks or 'lenses' such as formalist, feminist, Marxist, and psychoanalytic approaches to uncover new meanings in texts. The video emphasizes the freedom in literary theory to critique works individually, leading to diverse interpretations of the same text.

Takeaways

• 📚 Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature, focusing on the merits and demerits of a work.
• 📖 Literary criticism involves following established rules and guidelines provided by renowned critics to judge the quality of literature.
• 🎭 Aristotle's 'Poetics' offers specific guidelines for understanding what makes a great tragedy, including elements like plot structure and character portrayal.
• 🏛 Horace's 'Ars Poetica' provides guidelines on what constitutes a good poem and the qualities of a good poet.
• 🌐 Literary theory, in contrast, offers different frameworks or lenses through which to evaluate literature, allowing for new meanings to be discovered.
• 🔍 Using a formalist lens in literary theory involves analyzing the form of the text, including literary devices, figures of speech, syntax, and narration techniques.
• 🏭 The Marxist lens in literary theory examines societal conditions and class inequalities as depicted in literary works.
• 👥 A feminist lens in literary theory focuses on gender roles and gender inequality within the context of the literary work.
• 💭 The psychoanalytic lens delves into the psyche of characters, exploring dreams and their meanings within a literary text.
• 🌈 Literary theory enables readers to become critics, offering the freedom to critique works in unique ways and uncover multiple interpretations.
• 🔑 The main difference between literary criticism and literary theory is that the former follows set rules, while the latter provides the freedom to explore and critique literature through various lenses.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on explaining the basic difference between literary criticism and literary theory.

What is literary criticism according to the video?

Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature, involving the application of various rules and guidelines provided by critics to judge the quality of a literary work.

Who are some of the important literary critics mentioned in the video?

Important literary critics mentioned include Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Philip Sydney, John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Matthew Arnold, and T.S. Eliot.

What does Aristotle's 'Poetics' contribute to literary criticism?

Aristotle's 'Poetics' provides guidelines on what makes a great tragedy, including the structure of the plot, the use of anagnorisis and peripeteia, and the characteristics of the tragic hero.

What is literary theory according to the video?

Literary theory refers to the different frameworks or lenses used to evaluate a work of literature, allowing readers to find new meanings in literary texts.

What are some examples of lenses used in literary theory?

Examples of lenses in literary theory include the formalist lens, feminist lens, Marxist lens, psychoanalytic lens, and others.

How does the formalist lens approach the analysis of a literary text?

The formalist lens focuses on the form of the text, analyzing literary devices, figures of speech, syntax, and narration techniques.

What perspective does the Marxist lens offer when analyzing a literary work?

The Marxist lens examines the societal context of the time, looking at class inequalities and their depiction in the literary work.

How does the feminist lens contribute to the analysis of a literary text?

The feminist lens looks at gender roles and gender inequality as depicted in the literary text, providing insights into the portrayal of women and gender dynamics.

What is the main difference between literary criticism and literary theory as presented in the video?

The main difference is that literary criticism follows established rules to judge the quality of a work, while literary theory offers the freedom to critique a work using various lenses, allowing for multiple interpretations of the same text.

What does the video suggest for those who want to find out more about literary works or theories?

The video suggests visiting the website www.learningliteraturewith.com for online courses and classes on English literature and creative writing.