Formalism literary criticism and example| Critical approach in literature

Summary

This video from 'Teaching Learning English' delves into formalism in literary criticism, emphasizing the importance of form over content. It outlines formalism's focus on literary elements such as style, structure, and imagery, which are intrinsic to the text. The video discusses the advantages of formalism, like enhancing understanding of writing techniques and developing close reading skills, while also pointing out its limitations, such as ignoring context and compatibility issues with certain texts. Using Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken' as an example, the video illustrates how to analyze literary devices and structure, providing viewers with a deeper appreciation of poetry.

Takeaways

• 📚 Formalism in literary criticism emphasizes the form of a literary work over its content, focusing on the internal elements of the text.
• 🎨 The formalist approach regards literature as a unique form of human knowledge that should be examined on its own terms, with all necessary elements contained within the work itself.
• 🔍 Formalism is particularly interested in elements of form such as style, structure, tone, imagery, and other literary devices found within the text.
• 🤔 The primary goal of formalist critics is to understand how these formal elements work together with the text's content to shape its effect on readers.
• 🌟 Formalism suggests that the form of a work of literature is inherently part of its content, making the examination of form crucial for understanding the work.
• 📚 The basic elements to look into in formalism include characters, setting, tone, point of view, diction, and other textual elements.
• 🏫 The formalist movement began in England with the publication of 'Practical Criticism' in 1929 and was later adapted by American critics.
• 👍 Advantages of formalism include a better understanding of the writer's techniques, suitability for analyzing poetry and short stories, emphasis on the text's value, and the development of close reading skills.
• 👎 Disadvantages include the potential for time-consuming analysis, ignoring of context, incompatibility with certain texts, and a tendency toward similar conclusions due to a focus on form.
• 🌰 An example given in the script is the analysis of Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken,' highlighting literary devices such as metaphor, simile, assonance, and personification.
• 📝 The script encourages viewers to practice close reading and analysis by identifying literary devices and structural elements in the poem, such as rhyme patterns and tone.

Q & A

What is the main focus of formalism in literary criticism?

Formalism in literary criticism focuses on the form of a literary work over its content, examining elements such as style, structure, tone, and imagery within the text itself.

What are the primary elements of interest to a formalist critique?

The primary elements of interest to a formalist critique include the elements of form such as style, structure, tone, imagery, and other literary devices found within the text.

How does formalism view the relationship between form and content in literature?

Formalism views the form of a work of literature as inherently part of its content, suggesting that the form and content work together to shape the effect of the work on readers.

What are some basic elements to look into when analyzing a text through formalism?

Basic elements to look into include characters, setting, tone, point of view, diction, and other textual elements that contribute to the work's form.

When did the formalist movement begin, and where did it originate?

The formalist movement began in England with the publication of 'Practical Criticism' in 1929, and it was later adapted by American critics.

What are some advantages of using formalism in literary analysis?

Advantages of formalism include a better understanding of the writer's techniques, suitability for analyzing poetry and short story fiction, emphasis on the text's value, and the development of close reading skills.

What are some disadvantages of the formalist approach to literary criticism?

Disadvantages include the potential for time-consuming analysis, ignoring of context, incompatibility with certain types of texts, and a tendency to produce similar conclusions due to the focus on form.

How does formalism differ from other literary approaches in terms of research required?

Formalism can be done without much research as it primarily focuses on the text's structure and literary devices, rather than requiring extensive contextual or historical information.

Can you provide an example of a poem analyzed through the lens of formalism?

An example is the poem 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost, which can be analyzed for its use of metaphor, simile, assonance, personification, structure, rhyme pattern, and tone.

What is the rhyme pattern of 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost?

The rhyme pattern of 'The Road Not Taken' is a b a b a b, which is a common pattern in traditional poetry.

What theme is explored in 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost, and how does it relate to the poem's structure and tone?

The theme of choices in life and the consequences of decision-making is explored in 'The Road Not Taken'. The reflective and pensive tone, along with the structured form, reinforces the theme by emphasizing the contemplative nature of making life choices.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Formalism in Literary Criticism

This paragraph introduces the concept of formalism within literary criticism, emphasizing the importance of form over content. The speaker, Brunette from Teaching Learning English, invites viewers to subscribe for more content on English language improvement. Formalism is described as a unique approach to literature that examines the work based on its intrinsic elements, such as style, structure, tone, and imagery. The focus is on how these elements interact with the content to influence the reader's experience. The paragraph also mentions the origin of the formalist movement and its advantages, such as a deeper understanding of a writer's techniques and its suitability for analyzing poetry and short stories. However, it also points out the disadvantages, including the potential for time-consuming analysis, ignoring context, and the limitation of its applicability to certain text types.

05:00

🚀 Analyzing 'The Road Not Taken' Using Formalism

The second paragraph delves into a practical application of formalism by analyzing Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken.' It discusses the identification of literary devices such as metaphor, simile, assonance, and personification present in the poem. The structure of the poem is examined, noting the fixed number of lines per stanza and the rhyme pattern it follows. The tone of the poem is described as reflective and pensive, aligning with its theme of choices in life. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to share their analysis and questions, fostering an interactive learning environment.

Keywords

💡Formalism

Formalism in literary criticism is a method that prioritizes the form and structure of a literary work over its content. It is the central theme of the video, emphasizing the examination of a work's elements such as style, structure, tone, and imagery. The video explains that formalism regards literature as a unique form of knowledge to be understood through its internal components rather than external context. An example from the script is the analysis of Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken,' where the focus is on literary devices and structure rather than the poem's thematic content.

💡Literary Criticism

Literary criticism refers to the analysis and interpretation of literature, which can be approached in various ways. In the context of the video, it is the overarching topic where formalism is a specific method of critique. The video mentions that there are seven types of literary criticism, but it focuses on formalism, illustrating how this approach can be applied to analyze literary works.

💡Style

Style in literature refers to the distinctive way in which a writer uses language to convey their story or message. It is one of the elements of form that formalist critics are particularly interested in. The video script mentions style as an element that works together with other formal elements to shape the effect of a literary work on readers.

💡Structure

Structure in literature pertains to the arrangement of elements within a work, such as the organization of chapters, paragraphs, or stanzas. The video emphasizes structure as a key element in formalism, discussing how it contributes to the work's overall impact. The example of 'The Road Not Taken' illustrates this by analyzing the poem's rhyme pattern and stanza structure.

💡Tone

Tone is the author's attitude or emotional stance towards the subject matter, which can be conveyed through the choice of words and the narrative voice. The video script identifies tone as an important formal element, noting its role in influencing the reader's perception. In the analysis of 'The Road Not Taken,' the tone is described as reflective and pensive.

💡Imagery

Imagery in literature involves the use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. It is a formal element that contributes to the sensory experience of a text. The video does not provide a specific example of imagery from the script, but it is mentioned as a key interest for formalist critics.

💡Formalism Movement

The formalism movement originated with the publication of 'Practical Criticism' in 1929, as mentioned in the video script. It represents a historical development in literary criticism that has influenced the way critics approach the analysis of literature, focusing on the intrinsic qualities of the text rather than external factors.

💡Advantages

The video outlines several advantages of formalism, such as providing a better understanding of a writer's techniques, working best for poetry and short story fiction, emphasizing the text's value, and requiring less research due to the focus on structure. These advantages highlight the strengths of formalism in literary analysis.

💡Disadvantages

Despite its advantages, the video also discusses the disadvantages of formalism, including the potential for time-consuming analysis, ignoring context, incompatibility with certain texts, and a tendency toward similar conclusions due to the focus on form. These points illustrate the limitations of the formalist approach.

💡Close Reading

Close reading is a skill developed through formalism, where the critic examines the text in detail to identify and interpret literary devices. The video script suggests that formalism encourages close reading, as critics need to look into the text's elements to understand how they contribute to the work's effect.

💡The Road Not Taken

This is a poem by Robert Frost that serves as an example in the video to illustrate the application of formalist criticism. The script discusses the poem's use of metaphor, simile, assonance, and personification, as well as its structure, tone, and theme, demonstrating how formalism can be used to analyze these elements.

Highlights

Formalism in literary criticism emphasizes form over content.

Literary criticism demands reflective thinking and analysis of technical devices in literature.

There are seven types of literary criticism, but the video focuses on formalism.

Formalism views literature as a unique form of knowledge to be examined on its own terms.

Formalism is interested in elements of form such as style, structure, tone, and imagery.

The goal of formalist critics is to determine how form elements work with content to affect readers.

Formalism considers the form of literature as inherently part of its content.

Formalism began in England with the publication of 'Practical Criticism' in 1929.

American critics adapted formalism for their literary analysis.

Formalism provides a better understanding of the writer's techniques, such as literary devices and figures of speech.

It is particularly effective for analyzing poetry and short story fiction.

Formalism emphasizes the value of the text itself rather than its context.

This approach can be done with minimal research, focusing on structure.

Formalism develops close reading skills by examining literary devices.

Disadvantages of formalism include time-consuming analysis and ignoring context.

It is not compatible with all types of text and overlooks aspects like historical and psychological.

Formalism may lead to similar conclusions due to its focus on form.

The video provides an example of analyzing Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken'.

The poem uses literary devices such as metaphor, simile, assonance, and personification.

The structure of the poem is analyzed in terms of stanzas, lines, and rhyme pattern.

The tone of the poem is reflective and pensive, dealing with choices in life.

The theme of the poem is about making good life decisions that affect success.

Transcripts

formalism in literary criticism this is

all about

form over content let's talk about this

in a bit

[Music]

hi dear learners i'm brunette from

teaching learning english if you want to

improve your english

then this channel is for you be sure to

subscribe to my channel

and bring the bell so you'll be notified

of my new

uploads literary criticism is one of the

most

challenging topics to talk about as this

demands a lot of

reflective thinking how about you

but if you are fond of reading it's

quite easy for you to analyze the

technical devices of

every literature there are seven types

of literary criticism but in this video

we will only focus on

formalism what is formalism

this approach regards literature as a

unique form of human knowledge that

needs to be examined

on its own terms all the elements

necessary for understanding the work are

contained within the word itself

of particular interests to the formalist

critique

are the elements of form includes

style structure tone imagery and among

others

that are found within the text our

primary goal for formalist critics is to

determine

how such elements work together with the

text's content

to shape its effect upon readers

in other words the form of a work of

literature

is inherently part of its content

so the basic things to look into are the

elements of the story such as the

characters

setting tone point of view diction and

all other elements of the text in

formalism

form is the key not the content as it

does not consider other things such as

the purpose of the analysis

content or even cultural notions the

formalist movement began in england with

the publication of ia

recharge practical criticism in 1929

american critics adapted formalism

every literary approach has its own pros

and cons

what are the advantages of formalism it

gives a better understanding of the

writer's techniques in writing

such as literary devices figures of

speech

and others it works best when applied to

poetry and short story fiction

it emphasizes the value of the text

instead of

its context and it can be done without

much research as structure is only the

focus

it is a well-known approach analyzing

the elements of a poem

or story is the basic thing to do when

we were in elementary we started

analyzing short stories and poems it

develops close reading skills because

you need to look into the literary

devices but what are the disadvantages

it can be time consuming based on the

text

size and writing style of author

n the context is ignored and text is

analyzed in a very technical way because

it is more of

structure it is not compatible with all

types of text

and it ignores other aspects such as

historical

psychological and gender aspects and

there is a similarity of conclusions

because it is only after of the form all

right

let's have an example one of my favorite

poems entitled the road not taken by

robert frost do you like this poem

what are some literary devices in the

poem the use of figures of speech like

metaphor the words road fork in the road

so the road in the poem is the metaphor

even the word

yellow woods we also have simile

in the second stanza it's as just

as fair the assonance

somewhere ages and ages personification

in the third night of the stanza

because it was grassy and unwanted where

wanted where the road is human here

okay analyzing the structure in terms of

stanza it has

a fixed number of lines each stanza has

five verses or lines

it allows the rhyme pattern a b a

a b we usually identify rhyme patterns

in sonnets

most old poems follow rhyme scheme

unlike the contemporary poems where most

of them

are in free verse style the tone or the

feeling of the author is

something reflective and pensive as he

has choices in life

it is quite a serious tone i guess

the theme is about choices in life that

we need to have

good decisions because our choices

are products of our success do you agree

well we can still cite other elements of

the poem but i'm just sharing to you

some of the major

literary device about this point how's

your point analysis

so far what is your favorite point if

you have some questions feel free to

comment below

happy learning see you