Matthew Arnold's theory of literature and criticism

¶ … Judging Literature

Arnold prefers a comparative method of judging literature, a topic he addresses in "The Study of Poetry." According to Arnold, historical and personal grounds can often confound the comparison. Therefore, it is important to remain as unbiased as possible or at least to acknowledge one's biases when judging literature. It is important neither to overestimate nor underestimate the relevance or importance of a piece of literature, simply because one has a special affection for it or finds it relevant to a historical issue. Arnold also refers to the ways judging literature is constrained by historical context and attitudes. The merit of the work on a personal level is going to be different from that work's merit to a broader audience. The comparative method helps to eliminate biases as much as possible.

The Function of Criticism

Literary criticism functions in several different ways. Arnold first notes that the main function of criticism is to see and understand a work of literature exactly as it is, as objectively and rationally as possible. In practice, however, this can be difficult. Arnold distinguishes between the intellectual approach to literature and criticism, and the creative approach. Also, Arnold reiterates his appreciation of the art of comparison between works. Through criticism, literature can reach a sort of transcendence, in which the work of literature transcends both time and its cultural context. Seeing an item in its entirety and with as honest eyes as possible is the primary goal of criticism.

9. The Need of A Cosmopolitan Attitude in Criticism

Cosmopolitanism refers to being an open-minded person, aware of the world and cosmos around rather than being self-centered or xenophobic. Cosmopolitanism in terms of literary criticism and having good judgment in literary analysis refers to one's ability to ascertain universal truths from a wide body of cross-cultural literature, and also to incorporate the literature from other cultures into one's own repertoire of criticism. Arnold's view is that English speakers have so much material to work with, they are at great risk of neglecting to notice or recognize the value in the literary works from other cultures. A cosmopolitan attitude in criticism corrects this bias conscientiously.

11. The Laws Of Poetic Truth And Poetic Beauty

Having said that about the essentials of literature as criticism of life in the tenth section, Arnold now discusses more in detail the importance of poetic beauty and poetic truth. Poetic beauty allows the reader to appreciate what is being said, the poetry should be lofty and conducive to enlightenment. There are specific laws related to poetic beauty, just as there are laws in music. What sounds good in music depends on these laws, such as harmony and rhythm. In fact, poetry also has sonic harmony and rhythm, as well as other sonic dimensions as well as having meaning in the diction and tone of the poetry. Even prose can reach poetic beauty, claims Arnold. Seriousness and sincerity are both needed to accomplish the lofty goals of poetic beauty.

Conclusion/Summary

Matthew Arnold's critical theory applies both to poetry and prose, although at times it seems apparent that Arnold favors poetry for its lofty qualities. Arnold presents eleven central principles of literary criticism, which derive from the author's extensive investigations of literature from different cultures and epochs. The author starts off by talking about the importance of subject when conducting literary criticism. This first principle relates to the author's choice of subject or content, and how that subject is treated and developed. From this first principle, Arnold talks about the proper relation of form to content but in a general sense, as later the author favors poetry and discusses its implications. The form of the piece, such as poem or novel, should ideally reflect the content. Criticism will take this into account. Moreover, Arnold looks for a pleasing final effect. The reader should be left to be asking questions, thinking more deeply about the subject, and inviting further dialogue or discourse on the subject. From there, Arnold refers to the distinct advantages of objective representation in criticism and literature. An object should be rendered and appreciated in an objective way, rather than applying the reader's subjective preferences to it thereby coloring the work indelibly. The fifth principle of critical theory is the importance of correct form in poetry specifically. With the tremendous variations in poetic styles, Arnold urges more critical inquiry into the choice of form, and whether free style is really warranted. Sixth, Arnold discusses what he calls the Grand Style, the cornerstone of his theory of criticism. Arnold continually stresses the importance of form and style, of content and subject, and of one's objective and open-minded attitude toward literature.