F R Leavis

The roots of mid-20th century criticism (1920s-1970s) are complex and contradictory.
Matthew Arnold, a British poet and critic, influenced these critical movements.
- Arnold proposed that poetry would replace philosophy and religion in modern society.
- Advocated that ‘Culture’ could defend against the chaos of industrialized societies.
T. S. Eliot emerged as a pivotal figure, bridging these ideas into new critical movements.

Central focus is a reverence for literary works as artifacts of human value.
Criticism emphasizes ‘the text itself’ and the linguistic elements present in literature.
The notion of ‘Literature’ is elevated, creating a hierarchy in literary works.
- Literary scrutiny establishes a canon, excluding vast areas of writing from serious consideration.
- This is seen as dangerous and necessitated a demystification in the post-1960s era.

Eliot's essay 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' (1919) shaped critical discourse:
- Emphasized writers’ need for ‘historical sense’ and context.
- Advocated for ‘depersonalization’ in art creation to achieve ‘impersonality’.
Eliot described poetry as an escape from emotion rather than an expression of it.
- Noted that the poem itself becomes an “objective correlative” for emotional experiences.

Developed in the post-First World War context, particularly influential in English studies.
Pioneers included I.A. Richards, William Empson, and F.R. Leavis.
- Richards promoted a scientific precision in literary analysis through 'Practical Criticism' (1929).
- Empson's work 'Seven Types of Ambiguity' (1930) emphasized ambiguity in poetic language.
The American New Critics emerged in the 1920s, reaching prominence in the 1940s-50s.
- Associated with movements like Southern Agrarians opposed to industrialism.
Focused solely on the text without considering historical context, author intention, or reader effect.
- Emphasized structural elements like irony, paradox, and ambiguity.

Foundational essays included:
- John Crowe Ransom's 'Criticism, Inc.' (1937).
- W.K. Wimsatt’s 'The Intentional Fallacy' (1946) and 'The Affective Fallacy' (1949).
- Focused on the text as an independent entity, critique prioritized structure over emotional response.

Leavis's influence is historic in shaping English studies through the journal Scrutiny (1932-1953).
- Advocated for moral engagement with literature differing from New Criticism’s approach.
His works focused on literary discrimination and cultural rejuvenation through canonical texts.
- He identified major novelists who promote human awareness, directly confronting mass culture's materialism.
Leavis promoted literature's role in cultural politics, mobilizing it against the challenges of modern society.