What is the New Criticism lens?

New Criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated American literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. It emphasized close reading, particularly of poetry, to discover how a work of literature functioned as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object.

What is the synonym of the word lens?

magnifying glass. nounhand-held lens. eyeglass. hand glass.

What is New Criticism in simple words?

Definition of New Criticism : an analytic literary criticism that is marked by concentration on the language, imagery, and emotional or intellectual tensions in literary works.

What is the synonym of the word criticism?

Some common synonyms of criticize are censure, condemn, denounce, reprehend, and reprobate. While all these words mean “to find fault with openly,” criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions. criticized the police for using violence.

What is an example of New Criticism?

Besides authors and readers, New Critics would also argue that a text’s historical and cultural contexts are also irrelevant. For example, even if we’re looking at such a culturally significant text, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, we should avoid the temptation to read it as an anti-slavery novel.

What was the main focus of the New Critics?

Like Formalist critics, New Critics focused their attention on the variety and degree of certain literary devices, specifically metaphor, irony, tension, and paradox. The New Critics emphasized “close reading” as a way to engage with a text, and paid close attention to the interactions between form and meaning.

What does through the lens of mean?

adjective. Photography. Designating focusing, light metering, etc., that uses the light passing through the lens of the camera (the same light that would form the image) rather than employing a separate viewfinder, metering window, or sensor.

What is a metaphorical lens?

The idea behind the metaphor might be that multiple perspectives are needed to understand a work of art, but lenses are not perspectives. A single lens can be moved around an object to generate all kinds of perspectives.

How do you write a New Criticism essay?

New Criticism is about CLOSE READING, which means examining the text very carefully! Use “I think” or “In my opinion.” Remember, New Critics felt there were right answers to literature—individual interpretations are irrelevant! Try to cover too much. The more narrow your focus, the more in-depth your analysis will be.

How does New Criticism help you in understanding the story?

New Criticism, incorporating Formalism, examines the relationships between a text’s ideas and its form, between what a text says and the way it says it. New Critics “may find tension, irony, or paradox in this relation, but they usually resolve it into unity and coherence of meaning” (Biddle 100).

What is the main focus of the new criticism?