Literary theory and Criticism

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Name :-  Krishna R Khamal

Roll No :- 15

Enrollment no :- PG20170014

Paper no :- 7

Name of the Paper :- Literary Theory and Criticism

Topic:- I .A Richard's Figurative Language in selected poems

Dedicated to :- Department of English, MKBU

~ Preface

                  I A Richards is a critic belonged to modern age.He         born 1893 and he was educated at cambridge.He was professor of English Literature. So he started his career as teacher and critic.His first work written in collaboration with C.K  Ogdon,was published in 1922.This was followed by The Meaning  of Meaning also written in colaboration.One of his major work is The Principle of Literary Criticism in 1924.                                       

 The Practical criticism,it show him as an unrivalled advocate who practice practical criticism,Some of his other works are Science and Poetry,Mencius of the Mind ,Coleridge on Imagination, The philosophy of Rhetoric and The Speculative Instruments. He set three aims before constructing the book as under,

1)             To introduce a new kind of documantation to those who are interested in the contempory state of culture whether as critic ,as teacher ,philosopher as psychologist or curious persons.

2)               To provide a new technique for those who wish to discover for themselves what they think and feel about poetry,why they should like or dislike.

3)              To prepare the way of educational methods more efficient than those we use now developing discrimination and power to understand what we read here.

~What is figurative language by I. A Richardson?

The importance of Words :-

             He reveals his gteat interest in textual and verble analysis in his books Practical Criticism and Meaning of Meaning. If we ask that how Language made?

                          

           

               So if we want to understand any literary work so first try to understand Language ,we must understand words.And after understanding words we can easily understand any works.Words carry four kinds of meaning or total meaning of a word depends upon four factors as under.

By  sense is related with mind or plain literal meaning  of the words.Feelings refers to emotions, emotionl attitudes,will ,desire,pleasure,unpleasure and the rest.Words express 'these feeling ,these nuances of interest'. By  tone is meant the writer's attitude to his readers.There is relation between the writers  and his readers.Intention has no object,it is the writer's aim which may be conscious or unconscious. The purpose modifies the expression.

Significance of Context

                    Words have different meaning in different contexts.Words are symbols or signs for example if anyone say that elephant,so first the picture of elephant comes in our mind not the spelling of elephant.without context there is no meaning in words for example the word 'sweet' we use for person or food as under,

  -How sweet of you.

  -This sweets for my brother

Thus ,we can say that meaning is dependent on context but the  context may not always be apparent and easily perceptible.for example''Mountain and squirrel has a quarrel''.

Rhythm and Meter: Their Significance

          Rhythm and meter also give meaning of the words.Meter is a specialized from of rhythm.Rhythm made poem more regular  and well formed pattern.Richards remarks that 'Rhythm and its specialized form,meter,dpend upon repetition  and expectancy.Equally where what is expected recurs and where it fails,all rhythmical and meterical effects spring from anticipation.As a rule ,this anticipation is unconsciouss.Sequence of syllables both as sound and as images of speech movements leave the mind read of certain further sequences rather than others. Our momentary organaization is adapted to one range possible stimuli rather than to another.Just as the eye reading print unconsciously expects the spelling to be as usual,and the fount of type to remain the same ,so the mind after reading a line or two of verse or half a sentence of prose ,prepares itself ahead for same time negatively incapacitating itself for others,'

     

  It means over all we can say that over literal reading can say that over literal reading can never convey the total meaning of poem.

~The Nature of Poetic Truth:-

      if we want to understand the poetic meaning so successive reading is most important. Poetic truth is different than scientific truth for example,

Scientific truth:- Mountain and Squirrel can't talk.

Poetic truth:-  The Mountain and the Squirrel had a Quarrel.

     After this example we can understand that what is Poetic truth?It is matter of emotional belief rather than intellectual belief.It is emotional reaction not versification.

~Metaphors:-

             In poetry metaphors are so important,'A metaphor is a shift, a carring over of a word from its normal use to a new use'. There are two kind of metaphor as under ,

1)              Sensitive metaphor

2)              Emotive metaphor

  In a sensitive metaphor the shift id due to a similarity between the original object and the new one.While in emotive metaphor the shift is due to a similarity between the ''Feelings,the new situation and the normal situation aroused.''The same word in different context may be a sense metaphor and emotive metaphor.A metaphor is point which arouses a different meaning of the line.so metaphor is also a key to unlock the poem.

~ Applying  I A.Richards figurative Language in different poems

       Here one poem written by Ralph W. Emerson,title of the poem is ''The Mountain and Squirrel''.

The Mountain and the Squirrel

The mountain and the squirrel

 Had a quarrel;

And the former called the latter''Little Prig''.

Bun replied,

''You are doubtless very big;

but all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in togather,

To make up a year

And a sphere.

       ''And i think it no disgrace 

           To occupy my place.

          If I'm not so large as you,

           You are not so small as i,

            And not half so spry.''

                Over literal meaning of the poem is that mountain and squirrel can't speak so how can they quarrel? But here in this context the meaning is different. Over all meaning of the poem is that everyone has their own quality.As same in this poem also that mountain has its own and squirrel has its own qualities.As like sword and needle. So we can say that here poet use mountain and squirrel as metaphor.

             Other poem one is as under ,written by Joyce  Kilmer in 1886.

Trees

I think that i shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree,

A tree  whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast,

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts her leafty arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair,

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain,

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

            Over literal reading we say that,

–   Tree has no mouth

–   Tree has no eyes so how can that looks at God

–   Tree has no hair

But here meaning is differ,he want to say that God made tree ,while poem made by man .so tree is better than poem.And perheps he is great than god by saying himself as a fool.it is poem so he can't say directly and that's  why he uses different words with tree.He uses mouth,eyes,hair, as symbol.so here this is poetic truth ,not scientific truth,because truth is different with different context.

                           Here is third poem about the mother which is written by Elizabeth A. Allen as under ,

My Mother's Garden

Her heart is like her garden,

Old fashioned,quaint and sweet,

with here wealth of blossom

And there a still retreat.

Sweet violets are hiding,

WE know as we pass by,

And lilies,pure as angle thoughts,

Are opening somewhere high.

Forget me nots there linger,

To full perfection brought,

And there bloom purpet pansies

In many a tender thought.

There love's own roses blossom,

As from enchanted ground,

And lavish perfume exquisite

The whole glad year around.

And in that quite garden

The garden of her heart

Song birds are always singing

Their songs of cheer apart,

And from it floats for ever

Sweet as the breath of roses blown,

The fragrance of her life.

          Title is that my mother's garden.It does not mean that his/her mother has garden of flower,trees ,etc. But as in first line mother's heart  is like her garden it means that poet uses garden as simile.In last two lines also ,poet compare fragrance of mother's life with breath of  roses.So once again poet uses simile.In this poem ,poet tries to convey the importance of mother.And that's why poet compare mother with garden.Through those symbols poet write poem about great figure on the earth mother.'

 Now let's understand  some Gujarati poem after understanding  English poems.

  Here Gujarati poem related with mother as under,

Jananinijodsakhinahi jade re lol

Mithamadhunemithamehula re lol,

Ethimithitemori mat re,

Jananinijodsakhinai jade re lol.

Prabhuna e premtaniputadi re lol,

Jag thijuderieni re

Jananinijod....

Aminibharelieniankhadi re lol,

Vahalnabharelaenaven re,

Jananinijod...

Hath guthelenaheerna re lol,

Haiyuhemantkerihel re,

Jananinijod...

Devo ne dudh ena dohyala re lol,

Shashi e sinchel eni sody re,

Jananinijod....

Jaganoadhar eni angadi re lol,

Kadaja ma kaikbharyakod re,

Jananinijod....

Chittdu chadel enu chakde re lol,

Parne bandhel ena pran re,

Jananinijod...

Mungi ashish ure malakti re lol,

Leta khute na eni lahan re,

Jananinijod....

Dhartimata e hashe dhrujati re lol,

Achada achuk ek may re,

Jananinijod....

Ganga na nir to vadheghate re lol,

Madi no megh bare mas re,

Jananinijod...

Chalti chanda ni dise chandani re lol,

 Ano nahi athame ujas re,

Jananinijod...

In this poem we can see that praise of mother. Poet compare mother with madh and mehula, and he says that our mother is more sweater than other.Her heart is like ''heamant'. Here poet use simile in this line.Then once again poet compares love of mother with the river Ganga.And he says that love of mother is better than holly river.And 'madi' no 'megh' it means noit that our mother's water but her love is like rain forever.Then in last line that 'eno nahi atham ujas'it not mean that she gives us sunlight but it means that sun of her love never set.

           So we can say that over all meaning of the poem is about the love of mother.In Gujarati is one proverb ''ma te ma,bija badha vagadana va''.

Here one other Gujarati poem written by Shantilal Shah as under,

Ek j dal na pankhi

Ek j dal na pankhi,

Ame sahu ek j dal na pankhi.

Viharie kadi abha ma unche,

Udi udi kadi avie niche,

Killol karata reheta umangi..ek j dal na pankhi.

Sukh ma ne dukh ma sathe j rahi e

Ladie vadhie kadi, judae thaie,

Toy nirantar reheta sampi...ek j dal na pankhi.

Dharti ne khole bal ame sahu,

Karie kudarat gan amesahu

Jivan kera prevasna sangi...ek j dal na pankhi.

 In general meaning of the poem,

-Poem is about bird

-They live with each other

-They are tourists of life,etc,

      But, in the deep meaning we can see that poet use metaphor from Nature that is 'bird'.But he tries to talk about human beings.How they live? They are partner of life.They fight among each other but they can't live without each other.one famous Gujarati proverb 'bhega vasan kyarek khakhade pan khara''.

~ Conclusion

                Thus, we can say that I.A Richards gives us wonderful theory.And because of this theory we can easily understand any poem through observing words.That's why we can say that words are so much important to understand metaphors,simile,poetic truth,etc.

      After understanding of all above poems ,we understand that what the importances of metaphors,simile,etc are.Without all these  things poem is like 'widow'.And so if we can understand to any poem so first understand all these things which are laying in poetry.So ,this is the theory of I.A Richards.

 work citation:-

     Internet (some poems Gujarati and English)

      New criticism and new Critics -figurative Language

        

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