ABOUT THE AUTHORABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roman Osipovich Jakobson (October 11, 1896 - July 18, 1982) was a Russian thinker who

became one of the most influential linguists of the twentieth century by pioneering the

development of structural analysis of language, poetry, and art. Jakobson was one of the most

important intellectuals in the humanities during the twentieth century. He began as one of the

founding members of the Moscow Linguistic Circle, which was one of two groups responsible for the

development of Russian Formalism, which influenced the entire field of literary criticism. Jakobson

then moved to Prague, where he helped to form the Prague Linguistic Circle, which helped to

influence the development of structuralism, one of the dominant movements in the humanities and

social sciences of the era. Perhaps Jakobson's most enduring contribution was his development of

the model of the communication theory of language based on his delineation of language functions.

Roman Osipovich Jakobson (October 11, 1896 - July 18, 1982) was a Russian thinker who

became one of the most influential linguists of the twentieth century by pioneering the

development of structural analysis of language, poetry, and art. Jakobson was one of the most

important intellectuals in the humanities during the twentieth century. He began as one of the

founding members of the Moscow Linguistic Circle, which was one of two groups responsible for the

development of Russian Formalism, which influenced the entire field of literary criticism. Jakobson

then moved to Prague, where he helped to form the Prague Linguistic Circle, which helped to

influence the development of structuralism, one of the dominant movements in the humanities and

social sciences of the era. Perhaps Jakobson's most enduring contribution was his development of

the model of the communication theory of language based on his delineation of language functions.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT FORMALIST CRITICISMBACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT FORMALIST CRITICISM

IN LITERARY CRITICISM, WHAT IS FORMALISM?

IN LITERARY CRITICISM, WHAT IS FORMALISM?

- refers to critical approaches that analyze, interpret, or evaluate the inherent features of a text. These features include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter and tropes.

The formalist approach reduces the importance of a text’s historical, biographical, and cultural context.

The formalist approach reduces the importance of a text’s historical, biographical, and cultural context.

Formalism rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as a reaction against Romanticist theories of literature, which centered on the artist and individual creative genius, and instead placed the text itself back into the spotlight, to show how the text was indebted to forms and other works that had preceded it. Two schools of formalist literary criticism developed, Russian formalism, and soon after Anglo-American New Criticism.

Formalism was the dominant mode of academic literary study

in the US at least from the end of the Second World War through the

1970s, especially as embodied in René Wellek and Austin Warren's

Theory of Literature (1948, 1955, 1962).

Formalism was the dominant mode of academic literary study

in the US at least from the end of the Second World War through the

1970s, especially as embodied in René Wellek and Austin Warren's

Theory of Literature (1948, 1955, 1962).

Beginning in the late 1970s, formalism was substantially displaced by various approaches (often with political aims or assumptions) that were suspicious of the idea that a literary work could be separated from its origins or uses.

Beginning in the late 1970s, formalism was substantially displaced by various approaches (often with political aims or assumptions) that were suspicious of the idea that a literary work could be separated from its origins or uses.

The term has often had a pejorative cast and has been used by opponents to indicate either aridity or ideological deviance.

The term has often had a pejorative cast and has been used by opponents to indicate either aridity or ideological deviance.

TENETS OF FORMALIST CRITICISMTENETS OF FORMALIST CRITICISM

The form of a work of literature is inherently apart of its content, and that the attempt to separate the two is fallacious. By focusing on literary form and excluding superfluous contexts, Formalists believed that it would be possible to trace the evolution and development of literary forms, and thus, literature itself.

Formalism is a philosophical theory of the foundations of mathematics that had a spectacular but brief heyday in the 1920s.Foundations : The Linguistic Turn (Russian; defamiliarization) The Cultural Turn (New Criticism; Human liberalism).

Formalist thoughts:

Formalist theory has dominated the American literary

scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has retained its

great influence in many academic quarters. Its practitioners

advocate methodical and systematic readings of texts.

KEY WORDS

SYNTAXSYNTAX

APPOSITIVEAPPOSITIVE

SIMILESIMILE

METAPHORMETAPHOR

DICTIONDICTION

IRONYIRONY

IMAGERYIMAGERY

PERSONIFICATIONPERSONIFICATION FORESHADOWING

FORESHADOWING

Why do authors use this criticism?

Why do authors use this criticism?

Formalist critics use individual

parts of the text, the characters, the

settings, the tone, the point of view, the

diction, and all other elements of the text

to give meaning to the text in a more

literal way.

Formalist critics use individual

parts of the text, the characters, the

settings, the tone, the point of view, the

diction, and all other elements of the text

to give meaning to the text in a more

literal way.

STRENGTHS OF FORMALISMSTRENGTHS OF FORMALISM

Makes a Science of Literary Criticism

Viable Method enables a Professional Discipline

Develops "Close-Reading" skills

Basis for other language-centered theories

Great for analyzing poetry

Well-known approach

Readily applied informally

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES OF FORMALISM

WEAKNESSES

Seen as incomplete now Ignores:

Historical Aspects Moral Aspects Production / Reception Psychological Aspects Gender Aspects

Not applied easily to long formsSimilarity of ConclusionsCriticism always inferior to the object it studies

THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN By William Shakespeare

THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN By William Shakespeare

THE SEVEN AGES OF MANBy: William ShakespeareTHE SEVEN AGES OF MANBy: William Shakespeare