University of Calicut. PYQ Discussion. Literary Criticism. 4th Semester. short questions and answers

1.What is Criticism?

Criticism is the investigation,

assessment, and understanding of literature, work of art, film, and social patterns. 

Criticism is a critical study of some subject or theme which seems as: an interpretation, assessment, analysis, judging merits, unfavorable opinions and systematic inquiry. 

2.What you meant by Anagnorsis and Peripetia?

Aristotle introduces the concept of Anagnorsis and Peripetia in his Poetics 

. 

Peripetia is the reversal of fortune. 

Change in the course of storyline. 

Anagnorsis  is a change from ignorance to knowledge.

3.What is " Touchstone method "? 

Mattew Arnod introduced touchstone methode in his work 'The study of Poetry '

It is a method in which we can compare a piece of work with the early work written by great writers like Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare... etc. 

4. Irony and Paradox

Irony - The use of words to covey a meaning that is the opposite of its literaral meaning. 

Paradox - It a Contradictory statements which reveals an inherent truth. 

Eg; War is peace

       My weakness is my strength 

       Freedom is slavery

5.What is Plot

Plot is a literary element that describes the structure of the story 

Plot is 'the soul of tragedy'. It is the series of events which form the story of the novel, drama, film, etc. 

A plot is sometimes referred to as the 'spine' of a story. 

The plot may be simple or Complex. 

4. Simple Plot

A simple plot cannot have any puzzling situations or confusing elements. 

 5. Complex Plot

Complex plot contains Peripetia and Anagnorsis. It makes the work complex. A perfect tragedy should be arranged by using a complex plot. 

6. Satire 

John Dryden is a reputed satirist of the Restoration age. Satire is artistic form. Dryden defines satire as a mode for moral reformation, sometimes with an intent to inspire social reform.

Dryden's Mac Fleclnoe is a satire written against Thomas Shadwell

7. Primary and Secondary Imagination

Cloridge divided imagination in to two; Primary imagination and the secondary imagination. 

Primary imagination is inborn. It exists in every human beings by birth. Primary imagination perceives through five senses. 

Secondary imagination is the creative or poetic imagination. Through secondary imagination, our mind can reconstruct events and situations in real world.

8. Fabula and Syuzhet

Fabula and Syuzhet are the terms introduced in Russian Formalism, to discribe narrative construction.

Fabula is the chronological order of the events contained in the story(time line). 

Syuzhet is how the author connects those sequence by using related events. 

 we can describe Syuzhet as the storyline or the plot. 

9.Romanticism 

Romanticism in literature is a movement which gives importance to emotion, subjectivity, individualism rather than logic and reason. 

It is a reaction against Enlightmnet movement. 

10. Hamartia 

Catharsis is the purification or purgation of the emotions (especially pity and fear)  through art. In criticism, catharsis is a metaphor used by Aristotle in the Poetics to describe the effects of true tragedy on the audience .

Plato on Poetry 

As a philosopher, Plato disapproves poetry as Immoral. He denies poetry bacause it is falsehood. He says philosophy is good and poetry is bad because it is not ethical. 

Rasa

Rasa in Indian aesthetics is the aesthetic pleasure that we have while seeing or experiencing a drama or any piece of art. 

Rasa literally means 'juice, essence, or taste' . It was introduced by Baratamuni in his Natyasastra.