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¶ … 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...
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.
10. Essentials of Literature as Criticism Of Life
According to Arnold, literature is simply commentary on life, or criticism of life itself. The goal of literature is to see things as they are, then reflect back to the world some commentary on things, offering unique points-of-view and ways of looking at the world. Literature is not just about fantasy, although fantasy can be used as a vehicle through which to convey the world as it really is.…
references 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.
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