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Formalism/New Criticism

Formalism/New Criticism. By: Jim, Matt, Max, and Nick. Definition. Formalism: 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.

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Formalism/New Criticism

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  1. Formalism/New Criticism By: Jim, Matt, Max, and Nick

  2. Definition Formalism: Noun • Strict adherence to, or observance of, prescribed or traditional forms , as in music, poetry, and art.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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…

  8. 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

  9. 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>.

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