Literary criticism

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Analysis of works of literature focusing mainly on the style, structure, themes, and cultural significance.

Literary Theory: An umbrella term that refers to various theoretical approaches used to analyze and interpret literary texts.

Formalism: A literary theory that emphasizes the formal elements of a literary work, such as language, structure, and style.

Structuralism: A literary theory that focuses on the underlying structures of narrative and language, and the way they shape meaning.

Marxist Criticism: A literary theory that examines the social and economic context in which a text was produced and the ways in which it reflects or challenges class relations.

Feminist Criticism: A literary theory that focuses on the representation and role of women in literature and the socio-cultural context in which they are created.

Psychoanalytic Criticism: A literary theory that analyzes the symbolic content of a text in terms of unconscious desires and conflicts.

Deconstruction: A literary theory that challenges the notion of a stable, fixed meaning in a text and emphasizes the contradictions and ambiguities within it.

Postcolonial Criticism: A literary theory that analyzes the representation of colonized peoples and cultures in literature, and the effects of colonialism on literary production and reception.

New Historicism: A literary theory that examines a text in light of its historical context and the way it reflects or challenges prevailing ideologies and power structures.

Reader-Response Criticism: A literary theory that emphasizes the role of the reader in interpreting a text and the way meaning is created through the interaction between the reader and the text.

What is literary criticism?

"Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, a genre of arts criticism, evaluation, and interpretation of literature."

What is the relationship between literary criticism and literary theory?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

How are literary critics and theorists related to each other?

"Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists."

Is literary criticism a separate field from literary theory?

"Whether or not literary criticism should be considered a separate field of inquiry from literary theory is a matter of some controversy."

How does the Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism approach the distinction between literary theory and literary criticism?

"The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism draws no distinction between literary theory and literary criticism, and almost always uses the terms together to describe the same concept."

What do some critics argue in favor of considering literary criticism as a practical application of literary theory?

"Some critics consider literary criticism a practical application of literary theory because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works, while theory may be more general or abstract."

In what formats is literary criticism often published?

"Literary criticism is often published in essay or book form."

Where do academic literary critics typically publish their work?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments and publish in academic journals."

Where do more popular critics usually publish their reviews?

"More popular critics publish their reviews in broadly circulating periodicals such as The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the Dublin Review of Books, The Nation, Bookforum, and The New Yorker."

What influences modern literary criticism?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory."

What aspects of literature does literary criticism evaluate?

"Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, a genre of arts criticism, evaluation, and interpretation of literature."

What is the role of literary theory in literary criticism?

"Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

How do literary critics differ from literary theorists?

"Though the two activities are closely related, literary critics are not always, and have not always been, theorists."

What sources are commonly used by popular critics?

"More popular critics publish their reviews in broadly circulating periodicals such as The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the Dublin Review of Books, The Nation, Bookforum, and The New Yorker."

What is the academic background of most literary critics?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments."

Is literary criticism limited to academic journals?

"Academic literary critics teach in literature departments and publish in academic journals."

How does literary criticism differ from literary theory in terms of focus?

"Because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works, while theory may be more general or abstract."

How can literary theory be described?

"Literary theory... is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods."

Are literary criticism and literary theory always used interchangeably?

"The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism draws no distinction between literary theory and literary criticism."

How does literary criticism contribute to the understanding of literature?

"Because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works."