The New Criticism refers to a literary theory and movement that emerged in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States, as a response to the dominant forms of literary criticism prevalent at the time. Championed by figures like Cleanth Brooks, John Crowe Ransom, and Robert Penn Warren, the New Criticism aimed to refocus literary analysis on the text itself, free from external influences such as the author's intentions or the historical and cultural contexts surrounding the work.
At its core, the New Criticism regards the literary work as a self-contained and self-referential object that should be analyzed through close reading and careful attention to its formal and linguistic features. It emphasizes the importance of ambiguity, paradox, and tension within the text, rejecting the idea of a single fixed meaning or interpretation. Instead, New Critics argue that a text can only be understood by examining its internal coherence and complexity, such as the interplay between its symbols, imagery, structure, and style.
Furthermore, the New Criticism dismisses the biographical, historical, and sociopolitical contexts in favor of what is known as the "affective fallacy" and the "intentional fallacy." The former warns against interpreting the text solely based on the reader's emotional response, while the latter discourages the use of the author's intent as the sole determinant of meaning. Instead, New Critics advocate for a purely text-centered analysis, removing personal biases and extrinsic influences to focus on the literary work's inherent qualities.
Overall, the New Criticism sought to establish a more rigorous and scientific approach to literary interpretation, valuing close textual analysis and formalist principles over subjective readings and external factors. While its influence waned in later decades, the New Criticism's emphasis on the text as an
