Formalism and New Criticism Overview

A scientific approach to studying literature focusing on the parts of literature and how they work together, like the parts of a car.

A literary approach focusing on individual texts, deeply analyzing their meaning and specific elements like irony and ambiguity.

A technique used in literature which makes familiar things seem new and interesting.

A key figure in Formalism, who described defamiliarization.

A literary theory that emerged in Russia during the 1910s and 1920s; focus on how literary language works.

A key work by Viktor Shklovsky, introducing the concept of defamiliarization.

Everyday language, as opposed to the specialized language of literature.

The specialized language used in literature, often to create vivid and unique experiences.

Analysis of literature by looking at its parts and how these parts work together to create the whole.

Analyzing literature in depth to get the most accurate meaning of the work.

The idea that a literary work is a self-contained unit, independent of historical or biographical context.

Specific techniques used by writers to enhance literary works such as; metaphors, symbolism, tension and more.

A literary technique that draws attention to specific elements of a text, making them stand out from the ordinary.

A figure of speech comparing unlike things without using "like" or "as".

A figure of speech that replaces a word/phrase with something associated with it.

Literary techniques of selection within the text and combining those elements to create meaning.

Key ideas in the Formalist school of literary criticism.

Both Formalism and New Criticism analyze text, but Formalism focuses on how literary language works, while New Criticism aims to understand a text's meaning deeply.

Russian Formalists, like Viktor Shklovsky, studied how literary language differed from everyday language, emphasizing its unique features.

Defamiliarization uses creative language to make everyday things seem extraordinary, drawing attention to their hidden beauty or significance.

'Art as Technique' is a key work by Viktor Shklovsky that introduced the concept of defamiliarization and its importance in art.

New Critics focused on analyzing individual texts closely, seeking to understand the meaning and relationships within those texts.

New Critics were particularly interested in understanding elements like irony, paradox, and ambiguity within a literary work.

A Formalist would analyze a poem's language, noticing how it differs from everyday language. A New Critic would focus on the poem's meaning, exploring its complex themes and symbolism.

'The sun set' is common language; 'The burning sphere drowned itself in the horizon's mouth' is poetic language that uses defamiliarization to make the sunset more vivid.

Literary language is a specialized form of communication with specific techniques that can create unique effects and evoke deeper emotions.

A literary text is complete and independent, not dependent on the author's life or historical context.

Formalists analyze how a literary work uses language, particularly how it differs from regular speech.

Language used in literature, often with unique rhythms, metaphors, and devices, creating a distinct effect.

While both emphasize analyzing the text itself, Formalists focus on specific language choices, while New Critics look at overall meaning.

A technique making specific elements of language stand out from their usual meaning.

Making the familiar seem strange or new through literary techniques, similar to Foregrounding.

The technique of making language beautiful through selecting words based on their meaning and relation to the theme.

The technique of making language beautiful through combining words based on their sound and structure, like alliteration or rhyme.

Two figures of speech using 'selection and combination' to create meaning: Metaphor compares unlike things, Metonymy replaces with something associated

He developed the concept of 'Defamiliarization', a key idea in Formalism.