A Thorough Study of Literary Criticism - Plato to T.S Eliot - Notes

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Liam

A structured guide to literary criticism and its relationship with literary theory, moving from foundational ideas to modern approaches. It defines literary criticism as interpretation and evaluation supported by evidence, explains how criticism applies directly to specific works while theory offers broader methods, and contrasts criticism versus theory through clear distinctions. The content introduces key thinkers and ideas beginning with Plato, including the written dialogue, dialectic, and major contributions such as the theory of Forms and mimesis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages132

Reading Time3 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction to Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism vs. Literary Theory

Plato (428 CA-347 BC)

Theory of the Forms

Theory of Mimesis

AThorough Study of Literary Criticism for UGCNET/JRF from Plato toT.S Eliot By-Dana Multitasker About Dana Multitasker The real name of Dana Multitasker is Saurabh Thakur, who has been Gold Medalist in MA English and completed MPhil from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He has qualified NET (five times), HP SET (4th Rank), and pursuing PhD (Entrance Topper) from the same university. He belongs to Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. He has taught in the department of English, HPU as a research scholar for one year and has been former Assistant Professor in AP Goyal Shimla University, and also a guest lecturer in PCPs held in The International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), Shimla. He has been a published poet in numerous magazines and co-authored English poetry anthologies such as Shades of Ink and Colour of Dreams. He is also a recognized Hindi-Urdu ‘Shayar’who keeps performing in various open-mic events including ‘The Social House,’ Delhi.‘Dana’(seed) is a name his schoolmates used to tease him because of his notorious behavior and short stature. Due to the passage of time, juniors started calling him ‘Dana Bhai’ which he took as a token of respect. ‘Multitasker’ is the epithet people gave him by seeing his multidimensional activities on social media. Later, he chose this name for YouTube and Instagram because of its deadly combination. You can follow and contact him on Instagram and subscribe to his YouTube channel with the same name @Dana_Multitasker. He also has a vlogging channel viz. @Dana_Vlogs where he uploads interesting content. You can also write him on [prinsthakur89@gmail.com](prinsthakur89@gmail.com) You can get my NOTES of LITERARY THEORY for UGC NET. Click on the link given below to know more about it: [https://rzp.io/l/z8MpAJI9](https://rzp.io/l/z8MpAJI9) Get Cultural Studies Notes: Click here [https://rzp.io/l/X9rQoYaRgR](https://rzp.io/l/X9rQoYaRgR) Get the MAJOR WORKS LIST that you must read to qualify NET/JRF in English Literature. Click on the link below:- [https://rzp.io/l/T4msy7Pe](https://rzp.io/l/T4msy7Pe) NOTES SAMPLE/DEMO VIDEOS:- Literary Theory [https://youtu.be/mKkIfTfW0fY](https://youtu.be/mKkIfTfW0fY) Major works [https://youtu.be/bRwdK7e9bLk](https://youtu.be/bRwdK7e9bLk) Cultural Studies [https://youtu.be/d89DlgTpVN4](https://youtu.be/d89DlgTpVN4) Literary Criticism The art or practice of judging and commenting on the qualities and character of literary works is called literary criticism. Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Some critics consider literary criticism a practical application of literary theory, because criticism always deals directly with particular literary works, while theory may be more general or abstract. Literary criticism is essentially an opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context. Difference between Literary Criticism and Literary Theory: Literary criticism, is the overall term for studies concerned with defining, classifying analyzing, interpreting and evaluating works of literature. On the other hand, literary theory is the theory that guide those that criticize people's works. Literary theory refers to the approach to studying a text, something like a lens through which we discuss that text. Let us begin: - Plato (428 CA-347 BC) Plato was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution of higher learning on the European continent. Along with his teacher, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato is a central figure in the history of Ancient Greek philosophy and the Western and Middle Eastern philosophi

FAQs

What is literary criticism, and what does it focus on?

Literary criticism is the art/practice of judging and commenting on literary works. It studies and interprets themes, style, setting, and historical or political context using evidence.

How does literary criticism differ from literary theory?

Literary criticism defines, classifies, analyzes, interprets, and evaluates specific works. Literary theory provides broader “lenses” or methods that guide how critics study texts.

What were Plato’s key ideas discussed in the notes?

The notes cover Plato as an innovator of written dialogue and dialectic. They also explain his theory of Forms (timeless, absolute ideas) and his theory of mimesis (art as imitation of imitation).

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Liam