Welcome...
Here, I am going to share my views on the essay "Archetypal Criticism" by Northrope Frye who bring new criticism during 1950s in Literature.
What is New Criticism?
Here, I am going to share my views on the essay "Archetypal Criticism" by Northrope Frye who bring new criticism during 1950s in Literature.
What is New Criticism?
Middle decades of the 20th century marked as the prime time for New criticism. It emphasis more on Formalist approach and put aside all other outer references like historical context, biographical context, sociological and political contexts of that particular era to see the work of art. It is the reaction against the conventional and historical way of reading text. In new criticism text is reading on the basis of….
I.A. Richards considered as the father of New Criticism. In his work "Practical Criticism" he is the first who study Literary Interpretation or Literary Criticism in a scientific way.
Northrop Frye as New Critic
Herman Northrop Frye who remain most weighty during 20th Century because of his works on New Criticism and applying scientific approach to it. He is Canadian Literary Critic and Theorist. He get International popularity because of his first work "Fearful Symmetry"(1947). Harold Bloom, an American Critic commented upon him that…
"Anatomy of Criticism(1957) established Frye as the foremost living student of Western Literature."
Anatomy of Criticism is the collection of four essays or can we say four theories which intended to do a kind of wide survey of Western Literature from the work of Homer to Joyce.
The book begins with the "Polemical Introduction" and ends with "Tentative Conclusion" Through Polemic he wants to prove that How literary criticism is done and how it should be done. For that he argues that like science Literary Criticism also should be done in a systematic and scientific way.
What is Archetypal Criticism? What does Archetypal Critic do?
Before Archetypal Criticism first try to understand the meaning of Archetype. Archetype is a some kind of pattern, symbol, action, model or thing which is original and all other things are copy or imitation of that particular things. Prototype, a first and foremost or primary model of something and others are merely copied of it.
Psychic Archetypes
According to Jungian Theory Human Psyche is made up of three aspects….
So According to Jungian theory archetypes means inherited unconscious ideas, patterns of thought with which we are indirectly connected and this is universally present in every individual psyche called "Collective Unconsciousness."
Archetypal Criticism is the study of Myth, Symbols, Images in Literary work. Frye's interest is to find the origin of the origin. According to him the root of recurrent narratives are in Myths, Dreams, History, Psychology and religion. And from generation to generation same things are imitated. It is identifiable in larger area.
The form and function of literary work is identified, and the overall meaning emerged from cultural and Psychological myth. What Archetypal critics are supposed to do is try to find the meaning of text in an account of archetypes and structured analysis. Poet is totally departed when critics are on. In the words of Northrop Frye….
"Critic takes over where the poet leaves off, and the criticism can hardly do without a kind of literary psychology connecting the poet with the poem."
What is Frye trying to prove by giving an analogy of "Physics to Nature" and Criticism to Literature?
Every Knowledge can be received in a systematic way.
We can't jump directly on our goal. So Every body of knowledge can be learn progressively.
Physics is the organized body of knowledge of nature. And the students of it says that they are studying Physics not Nature. In the same manner when we study literature nature is at the center. What difficulty in literature arise is that "Literature Cannot be Teach." What we teach is all about the criticism of literature.
So Physics has a systematic and well designed approaches to study in the same manner Criticism should be done in a scientific way. To be concluded with….
Literature = Nature
Criticism = Physics
Literature is all about freedom, there is freedom of expression and if we try to bind literature than it not remain literature and become science. But Criticism is the systematic way which try to interpret the literature in a scientific way as Physics try to do the same with nature. Northrop Frye also try to connect literary genre with different seasons...
Share your views of Criticism as an organized body of Knowledge? Mention relation of history and philosophy with literature?- Spring - Comedy
- Summer - Romance
- Autumn - Tragedy
- Winter - Satire
Criticism is an organized body of knowledge because it can be learned progressively. There is a set pattern in which we go low to high. Like physics literature also verify its sources. It is systematic study and all evidence are also checked. There two main source where literature is usually examined…
- History
- Philosophy
Criticism which is systematic, so doing criticism what is important is the authentication of that particular idea. So when we analyse any text, dig deep into history and philosophy to find Event and Idea respectively. And as we all know that literary artist have liberty to apply imagination, free to do whatever they want to do, so they create Actions and Wisdom with their own Imagination.
So this is how History and Philosophy are intermingled with literature and for idea literary artist make dive in historical event and Philosophical idea and Critic also take support of both for the scientific analysis of literary text.
Briefly explain Inductive Method with illustrations of Shakespere's Hamlet's Grave Digging scene?
Observation > Theory
Particular > General
In Inductive method of analysis we see some structure or pattern and try to apply that particular structure on larger context. In archetypal criticism Inductive method is a kind of taking step back. We can't see the beauty of the things very closely. When we go very close to any painting so what we find is only strokes of brush, but when we walk step back then we find the painting beautiful. In the same manner Inductively, We applied same thing on larger context.
In inductive method there are not all situation same, but some extent it's going to meet. There were some data and on the basis of that we generalized the theory. Collect some information and on the basis of that conclude our discussion.
Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragic drama known for the best quoted sentence "To be or Not to be, that is the question." In Hamlet when we see Grave digging scene where we can apply Inductive method and make some specific idea universally applicable. Three generalisation can be emerged from that particular scene….
- Hamlet holding Yorick's skull which demonstrate that whoever we are, king, nobleman, prince/Princess, nobleman or even God...Who take birth on this Earth definitely going to die one day. So we all are mortal beings.
- Liebestod : Liebe means Love and Tod means Death. So Liebestod means "Love Death" or can we say Death of one side love. Two lover's love end up with the death or after death. Here at digging of grave for Ophelia Hamlet who confess his love at the death of Ophelia and also make fight with Laertes. This particular scene is used for many narrative but in a different manner and generalized the specific concept.
Briefly explain an analogy to Deductive method with reference to Music, painting, Rhythm, Pattern?
General > Particular
Theory > Observation
Universal > Specific
In Deductive method from general observation we end with particular decision. Music which move in time, we get pleasure from music when we are listening, and for that moment we feel it. Painting which is presented in space, means we can see it or touch it. Literature is the mixture of both Music and painting, where we can find Rhythm like music in narrative and pattern like painting in structure or meaning.
Now see how temporal and spatial is connected with literature… What we learn the words, sentences are temporal which give pleased us for the moment of reading but after that we forget that particular word. What we are going to remember is the overall message of that particular text which is spatial and permanent. So In Deductive method we read the whole text and then make one particular meaning or idea of it. There is already theory and we try to apply it on different literature.
Try to apply Indian seasonal greed in interpretation of Hindi poem?
To know more about Indian seasons and it's history plaese Click here
According to vedic period [Taittirīya Saṁhitā (VII.1.18.1-2)]on each season there is one God who ruled over that particular season…
- Spring વસંત (Vasus); The shining one
- Summer ગ્રીષ્મ (Rudras); Destruction God
- Rainy Season વર્ષા (Adityas); Creative potency of the forms of sun)
- Autumn શરદ (Visvadevas); Universal Principal
- Pre-Winter હેમંત (Maruts); Wind God
- Cold Season શિશિર
Garmi aai.
Afat lai.
Lapaten lai.
Mushkil lai.
Suraj tapta.
Para chadhta.
Gala sukhta.
Kadam thithakta.
Sukhi dharti.
Pyasi dharti.
Aag ugalati.
Tapti dharti.
Baher niklo.
Chhatri le lo.
Pano pee lo.
Chehra dhak lo.
-Harjeet Nishad
सूरज की गर्मी
सूरज की गर्मी से सूखे नदी ताल.
जीव सभी प्यासे हैं हाल बेहाल.
पंखे से निकल रही गरम हवाएँ.
कूलर और एसी भी काम नहीं आएँ.
बढ़ी बेचैनी पारा चढ़ा उपर.
लू के थपेड़ों से जीना हुआ दूभर.
पानी की किल्लत से लोग परेशान.
तप रहा घर आँगन सभी हैरान.
लोगों का धूप में मुश्किल निकलना.
थोड़ी थोड़ी दूरी पर पड़ रहा रुकना.
तीखी तेज धूप ने तांडव मचाया.
हवाएँ गरम चलीं पसीना आया.
-Harjeet Nishad
-Harjeet Nishad
सूरज तपता धरती जलती।
गरम हवा ज़ोरों से चलती।
तन से बहुत पसीना बहता,
हाथ सभी के पंखा रहता।
Sooraj tapta dharti jalti
garam hawa zoron se chalti.
Tan se bahut paseena bahata.
Haath sabhi ke pankha rahta.
आ रे बादल! काल्रे बादल!
गरमी दूर भगा रे बादल!
रिमझिम बूँदें बरसा बादल!
झम-झम पानी बरसा बादल!
Aa re badal kaale badal
Garmi door bhaga re badal.
Rimjhim boonde barsa badal
Jham-Jham paani barsa badal.
लो घनघोर घटाएँ छाईं,
टप-टप-टप-टप बूँदें आईं।
बिजली चमक रही अब चम-चम,
लगा बरसने पानी झम-झम!
Lo ghanghor ghatayen chhayein
Tap-tap-tap-tap boondein aayein.
bijali chamak rahi ab cham-cham.
Laga barasne paani jham-jham
लेकर अपने साथ दिवाली,
सरदी आई बड़ी निराली।
शाम सवेरे सरदी लगती,
पर स्वेटर से है वह भगती।
Lekar apne saath diwali
sardi aayee badi nirali
sham savere sardi lagati
par sweater se hai vah bhagati
सरदी जाती, गरमी आती,
रंग रंग के फूल खिलाती।
रंग-रँगीली होली आती,
सबके मन उमंग भर जाती।
sardi jaati garmi aati
rang rang ke phool khilati
rang-rangeeli holi aati
sabke man umang bhar jaati
रात और दिन हुए बराबर,
सोते लोग निकलकर बाहर।
सरदी बिलकुल नहीं सताती,
सरदी जाती गरमी आती।
Raat aur din huye barabar
sotay log nikal kar bahar
sardi bilkul nahi satati
sardi jaati garmi aati.
When we look at the following poem according to Indian seasonal greed then we find it is written about hot and hellish summer in Asian countries and especially in India. According to archetypal criticism Summer is the season of Romance, maturity, meeting, culmination but in India there is reverse situation because of the weather of India. Sun rays are very straight in India so Summer is hot in India so we can't find literature written on Romance during Summer. So following three poems try to show the terrible hot season of India and according to Deductive method we can conclude with particular statement that Summer in India is Hot so it is not considered as Romantic season like in other cold countries.
Citations
◆ Forst, G.N. (Winter 2007). "Anatomy of Imagination." Canadian Literature #195, Context(e)s. (pp. 141–43). Retrieved on: October 20, 2011.
◆ Poem source -
Thanks.....
Good prevail with images
ReplyDeleteVery well explained and written...with examples...👍👍
ReplyDeletePost a Comment