FORMALISM/NEW CRITICISM

By: Jim, Matt, Max, and Nick

DefinitionFormalism:Noun

Strict adherence to, or observance of, prescribed or traditional forms , as in music, poetry, and art.

What do Formalists do? Formalists look at specific words and

elements to critique in a given piece. Focus on grammatical, rhetorical, and

mechanical structures of written pieces. Focus on the patterns literary devices

establish. Special attention is paid to any repetition

of images and symbols. Formalists believe that richer vocabulary

and vivid descriptions make a good book.

History of Formalism Formalism began in 1920-1930 and

flourished in the 1940s.-1950s. New Criticism flourished in 1941 and got

its name from John Crowe Ransom’s novel The New Criticism.

Still widely used today.

PROS to using Formalism This approach can be performed without

much research. It emphasizes the value of literature

apart from its context (in effect makes literature timeless).

Virtually all critical approaches must begin here with formalism.

CONS to using Formalism The text is seen in isolation. Formalism ignores the context of work. It cannot account for illusions. It tends to reduce literature to little more

than a collection of rhetorical, stylistic devices.

Applying Formalism We read ‘My Father and the Fig Tree’ by

Naomi Shihab Nye. We were asked to read this poem with a

formalist approach. This is what we came up with…

My Father and the Fig Tree In the second stanza, the author uses imagery

to describe the ‘ideal’ fig. In the first stanza, the author talks about Joha

who is a trickster figure in Palestinian folktales. In the second stanza, the author talks about

Allah, Islamic god, andhow a fig needs to be so good it would be fit for a god.

The fig tree is a symbol representing the father's love for his home country

Works Cited Middle Eastern Literature Packet. Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M Ray. The

Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. N.p.: n.p., 1988. Bedfor St. Martins. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/critical_define/crit_form.html>.

"Formalism." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/formalism?s=t>.