104. Criticism

See also 249. LITERATURE ; 312. PHILOSOPHY

anagraph

a review or critique.

Aristotelian criticism

a critical theory, doctrine, or approach based upon the method used by Aristotle in the Poetics, implying a formal, logical approach to literary analysis that is centered on the work itself. Cf. Platonic criticism .

chorizontist

Rare. a critic of Homeric literature who claims the Iliad and the Odyssey had different authors.

contextualism

a school of literary criticism that focuses on the work as an autonomous entity, whose meaning should be derived solely from an examination of the work itself. Cf. New Criticism . —contextualist , n., adj.

empirio-criticism

the type of criticism whose aim is the reduction of knowledge to descriptions of pure experience and the elimination of such aspects as metaphysics. —empiriocritical , adj.

epicrisis

a detailed criticism of a book, dissertation, or other writing.

exegesis

a critical interpretation or explication, especially of biblical and other religious texts. —exegetic, exegetical , adj.

formal criticism

a critical approach, doctrine, or technique that places heavy emphasis on style, form, or technique in art or literature, seeing these as more important than or even determining content.

formalism

a critical emphasis upon style, arrangement, and artistic means with limited attention to content, —formalist , n. —formalistic , adj.

Freudianism

the application of the theories of the personality developed by Freud to the development of characters and other aspects of artistic creation. Cf. psychoanalytical criticism . —Freudian , n., adj.

genre criticism

a critical approach, doctrine, or technique that emphasizes, in evaluating a work, the genre or medium in which it can be placed rather than seeing it entirely as an autonomous entity.

hypercriticism

the practice of unreasonable or unjustly severe criticism; faultfinding. —hypercritic , n., adj. —hypercritical , adj.

Jungian criticism

a critical approach, doctrine, or practice that applies the theories of Jungian psychology to works of art and literature, especially with regard to Jungian theories of myth, archetype, and symbol. Cf. mythic criticism .

mimesis

an imitation, used in literary criticism to designate Aristotle’s theory of imitation. —mimetic , adj.

mythic criticism

a critical approach or technique that seeks mythic meaning or imagery in literature, looking beyond the immediate context of the work in time and place. Cf. Jungian criticism .

New Criticism

a critical approach to literature that concentrates upon analysis and explication of individual texts and considers historical and biographical information less important than an awareness of the work’s formal structure. —New Critic , n.

new humanism

an American antirealist, antinaturalist, and anti-Romantic literary and critical movement of circa 1915-1933, whose principal exponents were Babbitt, More, and Foerster, influenced by Matthew Arnold, and whose aims were to show the importance of reason and will in a context of rectitude and dignity. —new humanist , n., adj.

Platonic criticism

a critical approach or doctrine based upon and applying the ideas and values of Plato and Platonism, implying a literary analysis which finds the value of a work in its extrinsic qualities and historical context, as well as in its non-artistic usefulness. Cf. Aristotelian criticism .

practical criticism

a practical approach to literary criticism, in which the text is approached in universal terms with little recourse to an elaborate apparatus of reference outside the text. Cf. theoretical criticism .

psychoanalytical criticism

an approach to criticism or a critical technique that applies the principles, theories and practices of psychoanalysis to literature, both in the analysis of the work and of the author. See also Freudianism .

purism

in criticism, rigid or strict evaluation of a work of art or literature in terms of a code of standards of the critic or of a school of style or criticism related to or distinct from the critic, artist, or writer. See also 23. ART ; 236. LANGUAGE ; 249. LITERATURE . —purist , n., adj.

self-criticism

the action of finding one’s own faults and shortcomings. —self-critical , adj.

textual criticism

the close study of a particular literary work in order to establish its original text. —textual critic , n.

theoretical criticism

a critical approach or doctrine that examines a literary work in the light of certain theories of literature or uses the text as a support for the development of literary theory. Cf. practical criticism .

Zoilism

the practice of making bitter, carping, and belittling critical judgments. —Zoilus, Zoili , n.

141. Criticism

1. Blackwood’s Magazine Scottish literary magazine founded in 1817, notorious for its Tory bias and vicious criticism. [Br. Lit.: Benét 111]
2. Bludyer, Mr. a “slashing” book reviewer with savage humor. [Br. Lit.: Pendennis ]
3. Bolo, Miss “looked a small armoury of daggers” at those who made mistakes. [Br. Lit.: Pickwick Papers ]
4. Dutch uncle strict elder who scolds and moralizes. [Br. Slang: Lurie, 122–123]
5. Edinburgh Review influential literary and political review, founded in 1802, inaugurating new literary standards. [Br. Lit.: Barnhart, 375]
6. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar rebuke Job for his complaints. [O.T.: Job 4–31]
7. Essay on Criticism didactic poem on rules by which a critic should be guided. [Br. Lit.: Pope Essay on Criticism in Magill IV, 287]
8. Joab admonishes David for ingratitude to troops and servants. [O.T.: II Samuel 19:1–8]
9. Michal David’s wife; castigates him for boyish exulting. [O.T.: II Samuel 6:20]
10. Monday morning quarterback football spectator who, in hind-sight, points out where team went wrong. [Am. Sports and Folklore: Misc.]
11. Sanballat and Tobiah jeered Jews’ attempt to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. [O.T.: Nehemiah 4:1–3]
12. Theon satirical poet of trenchant wit. [Rom. Lit.: Brewer Dictionary, 1073]
13. Zoilus malicious and contentious rhetorician; “Homer’s scourge.” [Gk. Hist.: Brewer Dictionary, 1175]

crit·i·cism / ˈkritəˌsizəm/ • n. 1. the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes. 2. the analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work. ∎  an article, book, or comment containing such analysis. ∎  the scholarly investigation of literary or historical texts to determine their origin or intended form.

critic XVI. — L. criticus — Gr. kritikós, sb. use of adj. f. kritḗs judge, rel. to CRISIS; see -IC.
So critical XVI. f. L. criticus. criticism XVII. criticize XVII. critique criticism, esp. a critical review XVII. later form of †critic(k) XVII, alt. after F. critique, the orig. source, which is based on Gr. (hē) kritikḗ the critical art.

crit·ic / ˈkritik/ • n. 1. a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something. 2. a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, esp. one who does so professionally: a film critic.

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