NDSS Academy

Literary Criticism and Theory (B.A English)

Classical and modern literary criticism from Aristotle to T.S. Eliot and an introduction to literary theory.

6 MonthsDuration 5Chapters28Topics
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Syllabus · पाठ्यक्रम

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01Unit 1: Classical Criticism 6 topics
  1. Plato: theory of imitation and banishment of poets
  2. Aristotle's Poetics: definition of tragedy
  3. Six parts of tragedy, plot and hamartia
  4. Catharsis
  5. Longinus: On the Sublime and its five sources
  6. Horace: Ars Poetica (introduction)
02Unit 2: Neoclassical Criticism 5 topics
  1. Sidney: An Apology for Poetry
  2. Dryden: An Essay of Dramatic Poesy
  3. Ancients versus Moderns and the three unities
  4. Dr Johnson: Preface to Shakespeare
  5. Pope: An Essay on Criticism (introduction)
03Unit 3: Romantic and Victorian Criticism 6 topics
  1. Wordsworth: Preface to Lyrical Ballads
  2. Poetic diction and the language of common men
  3. Coleridge: Biographia Literaria - fancy and imagination
  4. Willing suspension of disbelief
  5. Arnold: The Study of Poetry, touchstone method
  6. Arnold: function of criticism
04Unit 4: Modern Criticism 5 topics
  1. T.S. Eliot: Tradition and the Individual Talent
  2. Impersonality and the catalyst analogy
  3. Objective correlative and dissociation of sensibility
  4. I.A. Richards: Practical Criticism
  5. New Criticism: close reading, intentional and affective fallacies
05Unit 5: Literary Theory and Indian Poetics 6 topics
  1. Saussure: signifier and signified
  2. Structuralism and Roland Barthes
  3. Derrida and deconstruction
  4. Feminist criticism: Woolf and de Beauvoir
  5. Postcolonialism: Edward Said's Orientalism
  6. Indian poetics: Bharata's rasa theory and Anandavardhana's dhvani

About

You will be able to

  • Explain the key ideas of Plato, Aristotle and Longinus on poetry and drama
  • Discuss the neoclassical criticism of Sidney, Dryden and Dr Johnson
  • Explain Romantic theories of poetry in Wordsworth and Coleridge
  • Apply Arnold's touchstone method and Eliot's ideas of tradition and impersonality
  • Describe the basic concepts of New Criticism, structuralism, deconstruction, feminism and postcolonialism
  • Relate Indian poetics (rasa and dhvani) to Western critical ideas
  • Write critical answers with correct terms and quotations for university examinations

Who it is for

  • B.A English students of Semester 6 under UP state universities (NEP 2020 common minimum syllabus)
  • Students preparing for UGC-NET / TGT-PGT English literary criticism sections

What you need

  • Completed B.A English Semesters 1-5
  • Reading knowledge of English poetry and drama

Questions

Which syllabus is followed?

The UP NEP 2020 common minimum syllabus for B.A English Semester 6. The centre follows the student's own university syllabus (MGKVP, VBSPU, Lucknow University or any other) where it differs from this outline.

Are original texts read in class?

Yes, key extracts of each critical essay are read and explained, with summaries and model answers.

Does this help in UGC-NET?

Yes, the same critics and theory terms form a large part of the NET English criticism section.

Are tests held?

Yes, unit-wise MCQ tests and long-answer practice are held before the semester exam.

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