# What is Lyric, Sonnet, Elegy, Ode, Ballad and Epic? # Types of Poetry # Practical Criticism: 1

Summary

In this educational video, Lakshman delves into the concept of practical criticism, a form of literary analysis that focuses exclusively on the text, ignoring authorial intent and historical context. The video explores different types of poetry, including odes, elegies, sonnets, ballads, and epics, detailing their unique characteristics, structures, and examples. By explaining the origins, forms, and thematic elements of each type, Lakshman provides a comprehensive understanding of poetry analysis through practical criticism. Viewers are encouraged to read more about poetry to deepen their knowledge.

Takeaways

• 📚 Practical criticism is a literary analysis method that focuses solely on the text itself, disregarding the author's intent or historical context.
• 📘 I.A. Richards initiated the tradition of practical criticism in England with his publication 'Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment' in 1929.
• 🔍 F.R. Leavis popularized close reading through his journal 'Scrutiny', emphasizing a detailed examination of the text.
• 🚫 Unlike other literary theories such as feminism or Marxism, practical criticism does not engage with external theories but focuses on the text's intrinsic qualities.
• 📏 To practice criticism effectively, one must consider the poem's length, mood, stanza patterns, and metrics.
• 📖 Types of poetry are categorized based on structure and content, including forms like epic, elegy, sonnet, ballad, and ode.
• 🏅 Ode is a lyric poem that can be Pindaric, with irregular meter and mythological themes, or Horatian, with more personal and regular stanza patterns.
• 😢 Elegy is a mournful poem expressing grief over the dead, often with a shepherd lamenting the loss and nature participating in the mourning.
• 🎼 Sonnet is a 14-line poem with iambic pentameter, coming in two forms: Petrarchan, with an octave and sestet, and Shakespearean, with three quatrains and a couplet.
• 📖 Ballad is a narrative poem traditionally sung, with a simple subject matter and often featuring supernatural elements and repeated refrains.
• 🏞️ The epic is a long, grand-style narrative involving supernatural elements, heroic deeds, and often beginning in medias res with an invocation to the muse.

Q & A

What is Practical Criticism in literary analysis?

Practical Criticism is a form of literary analysis that focuses exclusively on the text itself, without considering the author's intentions or the historical context of the work.

Who is credited with beginning the tradition of Practical Criticism in England?

I.A. Richards is credited with beginning the tradition of Practical Criticism in England.

What is the significance of I.A. Richards' publication 'Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment'?

I.A. Richards' publication 'Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment', published in 1929, became a kind of handbook for the discipline of Practical Criticism.

How did F.R. Leavis contribute to the method of close reading?

F.R. Leavis, a student of I.A. Richards, popularized the method of close reading through his journal entitled 'Scrutiny'.

What distinguishes Practical Criticism from other literary theories?

Practical Criticism is distinct from other literary theories as it does not involve any external theories like feminism, Marxism, or psychoanalytic criticism, and focuses solely on a very close reading of the text.

What are the essential elements to consider when analyzing a poem using Practical Criticism?

When analyzing a poem using Practical Criticism, one needs to consider the length of the poem, the mood, the type of stanza patterns used, and the metrics involved in the lines of the poem.

What are the two types of Ode as mentioned in the script?

The two types of Ode mentioned are Pindaric Ode and Horatian Ode.

What is the origin of the term 'Elegy' and what does it typically express?

The term 'Elegy' originates from the Greek word 'elegia' and 'eligos' meaning lament. It is a lyric poem that expresses grief over the dead.

What are the two types of Sonnets discussed in the script?

The two types of Sonnets discussed are Petrarchan or Italian Sonnet and English or Shakespearean Sonnet.

What is the typical structure of a Petrarchan Sonnet?

A Petrarchan Sonnet has an octave and a sestet, with the octave rhymes in the pattern a b b a a b b a and the sestet in the pattern c d c d c d or c d e c d e.

How does the structure of an English Sonnet differ from a Petrarchan Sonnet?

An English Sonnet, also known as a Shakespearean Sonnet, differs by having three quatrains and a concluding couplet, with a rhyme scheme of a b a b c d c d e f e f and g g.

What is the origin and typical subject of a Ballad?

The origin of a Ballad is found in folk literature, and it typically narrates a story in short stanzas, often of unknown authorship and passed on orally. The subjects are usually dramatic events such as feuds, adventures, disasters, love, and war.

What are the characteristics of an Epic poem?

An Epic poem is a long narrative poem that involves supernatural elements, is written in a grand style, and deals with heroic deeds and sublime subject matter. It often begins with an invocation to a muse and includes long lists, formal speeches, and divine intervention.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Practical Criticism

This paragraph introduces the concept of practical criticism, a literary analysis method that focuses solely on the text without considering the author's intent or historical context. It traces the origin of this approach to I.A. Richards and his publication 'Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment' in 1929. The paragraph also mentions F.R. Leavis, who popularized close reading through his journal 'Scrutiny'. Practical criticism is contrasted with other literary theories like feminism and Marxism, emphasizing its focus on close reading and analysis of the poem's length, mood, stanza patterns, and metrics.

05:02

📖 Types of Poetry: Ode and Elegy

The second paragraph delves into the classification of poetry based on structure and content, specifically focusing on the ode and elegy. An ode is described as a lyric poem of moderate length, often addressed to a person or object, and written in an elevated style with elaborate stanza patterns. It distinguishes between Pindaric and Horatian odes, with Pindaric odes characterized by irregular meter and Horatian odes by more personal and reflective content. Elegy is defined as a mournful song expressing grief, traditionally written in elegiac couplets, and often featuring an elaborate description of natural scenes. The paragraph provides examples of each type, including 'Ode to Aphrodite' and Thomas Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'.

10:03

📘 Sonnet, Ballad, and Epic Forms

This paragraph continues the discussion on poetry types, covering the sonnet, ballad, and epic. The sonnet is a 14-line poem with iambic pentameter, coming in two forms: Petrarchan and Shakespearean. The Petrarchan sonnet features an octave and a sestet with a turn of thought called the volta, while the Shakespearean sonnet has three quatrains and a concluding couplet. The ballad is a narrative poem traditionally passed orally, with simple subjects and an abrupt opening. It is written in quatrains with a specific meter and may include supernatural elements. The epic is a long narrative poem with supernatural elements, written in a grand style and dealing with heroic deeds. It can be traditional or literary, with examples including 'Paradise Lost' and the 'Iliad'.

15:03

🎭 Mock Epic and Conclusion

The final paragraph introduces the mock epic or mock heroic poem, a form popularized by Alexander Pope, with his 'The Rape of the Lock' as a prime example. This type of poetry humorously treats trivial subjects with the grandeur of an epic. The paragraph concludes by encouraging viewers to explore more about types of poetry, inviting them to like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more content.

Keywords

💡Practical Criticism

Practical criticism is a form of literary analysis that focuses exclusively on the text itself, disregarding the author's intentions and the historical context. This method emphasizes close reading and detailed analysis of literary elements such as meter, stanza patterns, and mood. It was popularized by I.A. Richards and F.R. Leavis.

💡Close Reading

Close reading is a method of literary analysis that involves an in-depth, detailed examination of the text's language, structure, and meaning. It is central to practical criticism and involves paying attention to nuances in the text without considering external factors like the author's biography or historical context. F.R. Leavis was a key figure in promoting this technique.

💡Ode

An ode is a type of lyric poem characterized by its elevated style and elaborate stanza patterns. It is generally addressed to a person or an object and glorifies its subject. The script discusses two types of odes: Pindaric and Horatian, each with distinct features and historical origins.

💡Pindaric Ode

The Pindaric ode, named after the ancient Greek poet Pindar, is a form of lyric poetry meant for performance with music and dance. It is structured with a triadic pattern of strophe, antistrophe, and epode, each with its own meter. Pindaric odes often celebrate events like the Olympics and include mythological references.

💡Horatian Ode

The Horatian ode, named after the Roman poet Horace, is more personal and reflective than the Pindaric ode. It is characterized by a regular stanza pattern and often focuses on simple subjects like nature or abstract concepts. Unlike the Pindaric ode, Horatian odes were intended for private enjoyment rather than public performance.

💡Elegy

An elegy is a mournful poem that laments the death of someone. Traditionally written in elegiac couplets, elegies express sorrow and reflect on loss. The script highlights the pastoral elegy, which uses natural imagery to enhance the sense of mourning, and mentions famous elegies like 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' by Thomas Gray.

💡Sonnet

A sonnet is a 14-line poem typically written in iambic pentameter. There are two main types: the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet, which is divided into an octave and a sestet, and the English (or Shakespearean) sonnet, which consists of three quatrains and a final couplet. Each type has its own distinct rhyme scheme and thematic structure.

💡Ballad

A ballad is a narrative poem that tells a story through short stanzas. Originating in folk tradition, ballads often feature simple language, repetition, and a focus on dramatic events. They were historically performed by minstrels and have evolved into literary ballads, which are consciously crafted by poets to mimic traditional ballads.

💡Epic

An epic is a long narrative poem that recounts the heroic deeds of legendary figures. It often includes supernatural elements and is written in a grand style. Epics can be traditional, derived from oral traditions like 'The Iliad' and 'Beowulf,' or literary, deliberately composed by authors like Milton's 'Paradise Lost.'

💡Mock Epic

A mock epic, or mock heroic poem, is a satirical work that parodies the grand style and conventions of traditional epics to humorously depict trivial subjects. Alexander Pope's 'The Rape of the Lock' is a famous example, using epic style to tell a story about a stolen lock of hair, highlighting the contrast between form and content for comedic effect.

Highlights

Practical criticism is a form of literary analysis focusing exclusively on the text itself, ignoring author's intent and historical context.

I.A. Richards initiated the tradition of practical criticism in England with his publication 'Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment' in 1929.

F.R. Leavis popularized the method of close reading through his journal 'Scrutiny'.

Practical criticism is distinct from other literary theories such as feminism, Marxism, and psychoanalytic criticism.

Close reading of a text in practical criticism involves analyzing the length, mood, stanza patterns, and metrics of a poem.

Poetry is classified into various types based on structure and content, such as epic, elegy, sonnet, ballad, and ode.

Ode is a lyric poem of moderate length, often glorifying an object or person, written in elevated style and elaborate stanza patterns.

Pindaric and Horatian odes are two types of odes, with Pindaric odes characterized by irregular meter and Horatian odes by more personal subjects.

Elegy is a mournful lyric poem expressing grief over the dead, often with an elaborate description of natural scenes.

Sonnet is a 14-line poem with iambic pentameter, coming in two types: Petrarchan or Italian sonnet and English or Shakespearean sonnet.

Petrarchan sonnet has an octave and a sestet with a turn of thought called the volta, while English sonnet has three quatrains and a concluding couplet.

Ballad is a poem narrating a story in short stanzas, traditionally of unknown authorship and passed orally from generation to generation.

Ballads are characterized by an abrupt opening, impersonal treatment, and refrains with repeated lines and stock phrases.

Epic is a long narrative poem involving supernatural elements, written in a grand style with sublime subject matter.

Epic poetry can be divided into traditional epics, based on oral tradition, and literary epics, deliberately written by authors.

Mock epic or mock heroic poem is a type of epic that uses the style of traditional epics for comic effect, popularized by Alexander Pope.

The video encourages further reading on types of poetry for a more comprehensive understanding.

Transcripts

hey friends hello and welcome to learn

with lakshman

we'll talk about practical criticism

today

let's first of all try to understand

what is the meaning of the word

practical criticism practical criticism

is a form of literary analysis which

focuses exclusively on the text

it doesn't pay any attention to the

questions like what is the intention of

the author

and in which historical context a

particular poem is written

it is said that ia research began the

tradition of practical criticism in

england

his research publication entitled

practical criticism a study of literary

judgment published in 1929 became a kind

of

handbook for the discipline of practical

criticism

f r levis who is also a student of

ia richards popularized the method of

close reading through his journal

entitled scrutiny today we have plenty

of literary theories

for example feminism marxism

psychoanalytic criticism

and so on practical criticism has

nothing to do with

the theories like this practical

criticism

in fact is a very very close reading of

the text

before you it takes into consideration

the length of the poem the mood of the

poem

the type of stanza patterns used in a

poem

and the metrics involved in the lines of

a poem

to analyze the poem by using practical

criticism

we need to have knowledge of a few

things

these things are extremely essential for

understanding the poetry properly

let us try to discuss each of these

things

in detail one by one types

of poetry depending upon its structure

and content poetry is classified into

several categories like epic

elegy sonnet ballad ode

and so on in this video we'll try to

understand

the types of poetry old

is a lyric poem of moderate length

it is generally addressed to an object

or a person the object addressed

is glorified deliberately in yours

it is written in an elevated style

and in an elaborate stanza patterns

there are two types of oats called

pindari oats and horatian oats

the name pindariko takes its origin from

the master who used to write

this kind of poems the master after whom

this poetry is named is pindar

it is often described as the greatest

lyrical poetry

diary quotes were meant to be performed

with dancers and a chorus

it used to celebrate events like

olympics

pinda loved to include mythological

illusions in his writings

pindaric oates consisted of three parts

strophy antistrophy and ipod struffy

and antistrophy has the same meter while

ippod has different meter

look at this example it is an example of

pindari code

it is titled as ode to aphrodite

aphrodite is the goddess of beauty in

greek mythology

william wordsworth's poem owed on

intimations of immortality from

recollections of early childhood

is also a good example of pindari wood

there was a time when middle grove and

stream

the earth and every common sight to me

did seem

apparel in celestial light the glory and

the freshness of a dream

it is not now as it had been your turn

wheresoever

i may by night or day the things which i

have seen i now can see no more

the irregularity of the meter is one of

the famous characteristics of pindari

code

both pindari codes and horatian odes are

written in quadrants as the stanzas

they have four line stanzas

the subject of the horation odes were

more personal in nature

than the subjects of pindari ghouls

whose subjects were

usually a celebration of gods or events

now let's try to understand the horation

ode

the horation food was named after the

roman poet herres

these roads were usually more thoughtful

than pindari code

they were meant for personal enjoyment

than a stage performance

their subjects tend to be simple

reflecting on nature

people or abstract concept

a horation wood usually has a regular

stanza pattern

remember it was commonly seen that a

short

fourth line was standard in pindari

style

in a horizon ode the third line was

often

shot followed by a full fourth line

now let's try to understand elegy

illegi in simple terms is defined as a

mournful

song it is a lyric poem that expresses

grip over the dead

pastoral legend moans the death of

someone very close to heart assuming him

and the poet to be shepherd there is an

elaborate description of natural scenes

assuming

that nature is also participating in the

morning of the dead

the term elegy originates from greek

word

elegia and eligos meaning

lament earlier it was written in

allergic couplets each couplet consisted

of a hexameter followed by a pentameter

it was a very popular form in augustan

age

tibulus properties and ovid have written

several illeges john milton

is also known for writing allergies

the most famous elegy in english is

elegy

written in country churchill written by

thomas green

in modern times the test for elegy

is not its meter but its theme

sonnet the word sonnet comes from

italian word sonato

meaning a little song it is a 14 line

poem

and is generally written in iambic

pentameter

there are two types of sonnets

petrarchan or italian sonnet

and english or shakespearean sonnet

petrarchan sonnet petrarchan sonnet

originated in italy

it is called petrarchan sonnet because

italian poet petrarch

wrote this type of sonnets italians on

it has an

octave and assessed it octave rhymes

a b b a a b b a and

the cested rhymes c d c d

c d or c d e c

d e there is a turn of thought or idea

after octave in it

this term is called volta milton's on

his blindness

is an example of petrarchan sonnet

english sonnet the sonnet

was brought to england from italy

by sir thomas wet however

henry howard the earl of surrey

established a new structure

in england this structure established by

love surrey is known as english sonnet

william shakespeare used the same form

to write its sonnet sequence which

contains 154 sonnets

english sonnet has three quadrants

and a concluding couplet its rhyme

scheme

is a b a b c d c

d e f e f and gg

english sonnet is also known as

shakespearean sonnet

it is known as experience on it not

because shakespeare has invented this

form

but because shakespeare has written 154

sonnets of this time there is another

variety of english sonnet

which is known as pencilian variety

these type of sonnets were written by

edmund spenser

it contains three quadrants and a final

couplet

its rhyme scheme is a b a b

b c b c c d c d and

e e the ballad

according to oxford language dictionary

ballad is a poem narrating a story in

short

stanzas traditionally

ballads are typically of unknown

authorship having been passed on orally

from one generation to

other the origin of ballad is found in

fork literature

it is one of the oldest forms in english

it is of the native growth originally

it was sung by a group of wandering

singers

it was sung to the accompaniment of a

harp or a fiddle

these singers earned a living with the

help of their singing

etymologically the ballad means dancing

song

in its earliest stages the song must be

accompanied by a crude

tribal dance the minstrel usually sung

it

in the chimney corner of the farmhouse

or the village green to entertain a

group of eager listeners

for example scott's lady of last

minstrel

most of the ancient english ballads were

collected in bishop versus

relics of ancient english poetry which

was published in 1765.

the ballad is a short story in verse

its subjects are deads rather than

thoughts

dates can be simple such as memorable

feud a thrilling adventure

a family disaster love and war

and the life the tale is usually fierce

and tragic

it frequently introduces the

supernaturals

there is a particular measure for the

ballads

the poem is written in valid major a

quatrain

in which the first and the third lines

are four feet i am big and second

and the fourth are three foot iambic

there can be

variation in the syllables and line

another important characteristic of a

ballad is its abrupt

opening the tail opens abruptly without

systematic introduction

sometimes it begins with a question and

answer

for example oh where have you been my

long lost love treatment in the ballad

is always impersonal

there is no deliberate attempt to make

it personal

it's very much like telling a story

itself

sometimes epic may have the personal

touches but ballot doesn't have such

personal touches in it

in the ballot same lines are often

repeated from stanza to stanza

as a refrain the stock phrases are

freely used

there is no deliberate attempt to give

the details of the time

and place of the story it can be ignored

in the interest of the story

kinds of ballot basically there are two

types of ballot

the ballot of growth and the ballad of

art

there is one more category of the ballot

and that is called

mock ballad the ballad of growth

is also called authentic ballad it has

unknown authorship this type of ballad

has been existing for ages

some of the examples of a ballad of

growth are

chevy chase the wife and ushers well

and sir patrick spence the ballad

of art is also called literary ballad it

is

a development of the traditional form of

ballad in literature

this is a conscious attempted ballad it

is

imitative in nature for example the

rhyme of ancient marina written by

sd college there is also a minor form of

literary ballad it is called mock ballad

in mock ballad comic theme is treated

with the seriousness appropriate to the

ballot it follows ballard as a model

very closely in everything

except the subject matter for example

cooper's john gilpin and

william maggins the rime of ancient

wagoner

modeled on st coleridge's the rhyme of

ancient

marina the epic

the epic is a long narrative poem

involving

a lot of supernatural elements in it it

is written

in grand style and its subject matter

is sublime there is no scope for

trivialities

in epic poetry the epic is also known as

the heroic poem because it deals with

the

heroic deeds of the characters epic

poetry can be classified into two parts

namely traditional epic and literary

epic

traditional epic includes the epics of

oral tradition

some of the famous examples of

traditional epics

are the examples of traditional epics

are

sumerian the epic of gilgamesh

the ancient indian mahabharata

ramayana and tamil silla patikaram

the persian epic shahanama

the ancient greek epics odc

and iliad latin epic

enid the old english epic

beowulf the german epic nebulan gun late

and so on traditional epics

are authentic epics and they are also

called epics of

growth literary epics are the epics that

are deliberately written by someone

based on the style of the traditional

epic the examples of literary epics in

english are milton's paradise lost

and paradise regained the epic

begins in medias the setting is vast

covering many nations the world or the

whole universe

the epic generally begins with an

invocation to muse

begins with the statement of the theme

it includes use of epithet's contents

long lists called the epic catalogue it

features

long and formal speeches it shows divine

intervention in human affairs

features the hero that embody the value

of civilization

there is the third type of epic known as

mock epic or mock heroic poem

this form was popularized by alexander

pope

the famous example of mock heroic poem

or mock epic is pope's

rape of the lock it is an interesting

and delightful poem written by pope

there are plenty of details regarding

types of poetry

which cannot be covered in a video like

this

so i request you to have some good

reading about

types of poetry i hope this is an useful

video and you have

liked it if you liked it then press the

like button

share this video with your friends and

subscribe for the channel if you are new

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thank you very much for watching