IA RICHARDS (Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgement)

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What is Practical Criticism:

A method of analyzing poetry by looking only at the words on the page.

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Core principles of Practical Criticism:

  1. Literary texts as external phenomenon/ behaviours
  2. How these literary texts affect the readers physiologically </aside>

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What Practical Criticism rejects:

  1. Author's biography
  2. Historical context
  3. Political context
  4. Reader's personal memories
  5. Fixed rules </aside>

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Introducing Literary Criticism A Graphic - Owen Holland 2015

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Why Practical Criticism (its aims):

  1. To give a new way of documentation and analysis for curious people
  2. To help one discover and understand the reasons behind their own taste
  3. To generate a more efficent educational method which would help people develop two essential skills: discrimination and understanding </aside>

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Richard’s Experiment:

  1. Gave poems to Cambridge students without poet names or context
  2. Students had to read and record responses over multiple readings
  3. Most students misunderstood terribly. Proved we need training in reading </aside>

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4 kinds of meaning according to IA Richards:

In poetry, Feeling and Tone are more important than Sense. Poets distort facts to create emotions.

Function What It Is Example
Sense Literal meaning (what it says) "The sky is blue"
Feeling Emotion toward the subject Poet feels peaceful about the sky
Tone Attitude toward the reader Speaking gently, like to a friend
Intention The purpose (what poet wants) To make you feel calm too
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"Most of the statements in poetry are there as a means to the manipulation and expression of feelings and attitudes." (IA Richards)

Scientific Language Poetic Language
Purpose is to state facts clearly Purpose is to evoke feelings and attitudes
Sense is MOST important Sense serves Feeling and Tone
Distortion of facts = Failure Distortion of facts = Allowed (if it serves the emotion)
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Group # Difficulty Simple Explanation
1. Text Basics*(Problems with the words)* 1 Plain Sense Failing to understand the basic, literal meaning of the words on the page
2 Sensuous Apprehension Missing the rhythm, sound, meter, and movement of the language
3 Imagery Misinterpreting the mental pictures or visuals the poem creates
2. Personal Baggage*(Bringing yourself into it)* 4 Mnemonic Irrelevances Getting distracted by personal memories triggered by a word ("this reminds me of...")
5 Stock Responses Reacting with a pre-existing cliché or stereotype instead of a genuine feeling
8 Doctrinal Adhesions Letting your personal beliefs (religion, politics, morality) block your appreciation
3. Emotional Balance*(Feeling the wrong amount)* 6 Sentimentality Being over-emotional or crying when the poem doesn't justify that level of feeling
7 Inhibition Being under-emotional or too "hard" to feel anything the poem offers
4. Preconceived Notions*(Judging by fixed rules)* 9 Technical Presuppositions Judging by rigid rules ("poems MUST rhyme" or "MUST be in this format")
10 General Critical Preconceptions Having fixed theories about what art "should be" that block new experiences
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