Essentials of Literary Criticism - Preface - Guide to Detailed Discussion of Literary Texts

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Violet

A guide to detailed discussion of literary texts, primarily for first-year university students and also useful in later secondary or high school stages. The approach focuses on examining specific passages across early chapters organized by genre, then placing them in a broader context in subsequent chapters. It emphasizes learning how to write critical essays by consolidating prior guidance on form and method, balancing writing with reading.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages156

Reading Time4 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

The use of criticism

What to say about a poem

Four modes of fiction

English prose style

Writing notes

Structuring an essay

Background and biography

Comparison and analysis

The model essay/Breaking the model

Bibliography

Index

ESSENTIALS OFLITERARYCRITICISMREFEIBradfield College LibraryPHA⁰04282 This book is to be returned on or beforethe last date stamped below. | | | | --- | --- | | Bradfield C
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AWN | | | | 307619s 880.91oeso1885 3aS Philip Hobsbaum # Essentials ofLiterary Criticism For my dear step-daughters,Jane and Mary,who stand for all the students I have taughtand from whom I have sought to learn Any copy of this book issued by the publisher as apaperback is sold subject to the condition thatit shall not,by way of trade or otherwise,be lent,re-sold,hired out,or otherwise circulated,withoutthe publisher's prior consent,in any form ofbinding or cover other than in which it is published,and without a similar condition includingthese words being imposed on a subsequentpurchaser. C1983 Thames and Hudson Ltd All rights reserved.Nopart of this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in any form or by anymeans,electronic or mechanical,includingphotocopy,recording orany information storage andretrieval system,without permission in writing fromthe publisher Printed in Hungary Preface 7I The use of criticism9II What to say about a poem18III Four modes of fiction35IV English prose style53V Writing notes67VI Structuring an essay80VII Background and biography98VIII Comparison and analysis111IX The model essay/Breaking the model131Bibliography143Index147 'The critic's perceptions and judgments are his,or theyare nothing;but,whether or not he has consciouslyaddressed himself to co-operative labour,they areinevitably collaborative.Collaboration may take theform of disagreement,and one is grateful to thecritic whom one has found worth disagreeing with' F.R.Leavis,The Common Pursuit 'The Text requires an attempt to abolish (or at leastto lessen)the distance between writing and reading,not by intensifying the reader's projectioninto the work,but by linking the two togetherin a single signifying process' Roland Barthes,'From Work to Text' The purpose of this book is to provide a guide to the detaileddiscussion of literary texts.Primarily it is designed for thefirst-year university student,though it should also be found usefulin the later stages of secondary or high school.It could also beused by school and university teachers with their classes. The basic procedure is to examine specific passages in the firstfour chapters,arranged according to genre,and in chapters5-8 to put them in a larger context,at the same time suggestingapproaches that the student could take in writing about them.The last chapter consolidates previous remarks on the writingof the critical essay:the form in which,for better or worse,students of English Literature are required to express themselves.My reason for undertaking the book is that,as far as I amaware,it is the first to place as much emphasis on writingabout literature as on reading it. I wish to thank my wife for her inexhaustible patience duringthe writing of this book;my university,and especially its greatlibrary,for help without which nothing could have been done;my teachers and students,for all I have learned from them;and my departmental secretary,Mrs Valerie Eden,whose skillin her craft helped to consolidate my work.

FAQs

Who is the book primarily designed for?

Primarily for first-year university students, with usefulness also in later secondary or high school stages.

What is the basic procedure proposed in the book?

Examine specific passages in the first four chapters arranged by genre, then connect them to a larger context in chapters 5-8 while suggesting approaches for writing.

How does the book address critical essay writing?

The final chapter consolidates earlier remarks on writing the critical essay, focusing on the form required of students of English Literature.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Violet