Definition

Noun: 1. The informed analysis and evaluation of literature: The academic discipline or intellectual activity involving the study, interpretation, explanation, and judgment of literary works based on established principles, theories, and knowledge. 2. A written evaluation of a work of literature: A specific piece of writing, such as an essay, article, or review, that presents an analysis and judgment of a particular literary text or author's body of work.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Discipline):
  • She studied literary criticism to understand different methods of interpreting novels.
  • Modern literary criticism often explores themes of power, gender, and identity.
• Noun (Written Piece):
  • He published a piece of literary criticism on the symbolism in Melville's Moby-Dick.
  • The professor assigned an essay on feminist literary criticism of Victorian poetry.

Advanced Usage

• "to practice literary criticism": To engage in the act of analyzing and evaluating literature.
  • Scholars who practice literary criticism aim to deepen our understanding of texts.
• "a school of literary criticism": A specific theoretical approach or methodology for analyzing literature (e.g., Marxist criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, postcolonial criticism).
  • Structuralism was an influential school of literary criticism in the mid-20th century.

Variants and Related Words

• Critic (n): A person who engages in criticism, especially professionally.
  • The critic wrote a scathing review of the new play.
• Critical (adj): 1. Involving analysis and judgment. 2. Expressing disapproval.
  • Her critical essay provided a new perspective on the classic novel.
• Critique (n/v): A detailed analysis and assessment; to analyze in a detailed and critical way.
  • She presented a critique of the author's use of narrative voice.

Synonyms

• Analysis: Detailed examination of the elements or structure of a literary work.
• Evaluation: The making of a judgment about the value or quality of a literary work.
• Exegesis: Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, often associated with scholarly depth.

Related Phrases

• Close reading: A fundamental technique in literary criticism involving careful, sustained interpretation of a brief passage of text.
  • The class performed a close reading of the poem's first stanza.
• Textual analysis: The systematic examination of the formal elements and content of a text.
  • His textual analysis revealed patterns of repetition and contrast.

Related Idioms

• "The critic's eye": A perspective characterized by careful analysis and judgment.
  • She viewed the manuscript with the critic's eye, noting every flaw and strength. (Note: While not a fixed idiom, this phrase is commonly used in contexts related to literary criticism.)

Noun

1. the informed analysis and evaluation of literature
2. a written evaluation of a work of literature