Two general principles underlie the Formalist study of literature: first, literature itself, or rather, those of its features that distinguish it from other human activities, must constitute the object of inquiry of literary theory; second, “literary facts” have to be prioritized over the metaphysical commitments of …

What is the main principle of Russian formalism?

Two general principles underlie the Formalist study of literature: first, literature itself, or rather, those of its features that distinguish it from other human activities, must constitute the object of inquiry of literary theory; second, “literary facts” have to be prioritized over the metaphysical commitments of …

What are the three features of formalism?

These features include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter and tropes. The formalistic approach reduces the importance of a text’s historical, biographical, and cultural context.

What are the basic features of Russian formalism?

Rhyme, syntax, consonants, and plot were some of the more important poetic/literary devices that Russian Formalists emphasized within analyses that emphasized the important point that meaning is drawn from arrangement of words within the work itself and not from words associations with external sign referents.

What is the description of formalism?

Formalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form – the way it is made and its purely visual aspects – rather than its narrative content or its relationship to the visible world.

How does it distinguish from Russian formalism?

Russian Formalism mainly focused on the form or structure of a literary work, instead of its content. In contrast, New Criticism believed that both form and content are equally important.

What are the characteristics of formalism?

Formalism is an object-centered theory of critical approach to literature….The formal properties of a literary work include:

• Words (meaning of the words)
• Shape/structure of the text.
• Harmony of the words.
• The rhythm of the sentences.
• Rhyming of the words.
• Meaning of the text as a whole.

What are the types of formalism?

Formalism is divided into two branches Russian Formalism and New Criticism. Formalism also argued that a text is an autonomous entity liberated from the intention of the author. A text according to Formalism is a thing on its own without the need of external agents.

What is an example of formalism?

A strictly formalist critic would, for example, approach The Great Gatsby as a structure of words, ignoring the details of Fitzgerald’s life and the social and historical contexts of the novel.

Who is the most well known exponent of Russian Formalism?

Russian Formalism or East European Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary theory that originated in Moscow (Moscow Linguistic Circle) and St. Petersburg (Opojaz) in the 1920s. Among the leading representatives of the movement were Boris Eichenbaum, Victor Shklovsky, and Roman Jakobson.

What is the main difference between Russian formalist and the American New Critics?

Russian Formalism mainly focused on the form or structure of a literary work, instead of its content, but New Criticism believed that both form and content are closely connected and equally important.

What is the basis of formalism?

Formalism holds that true meaning can be determined only by analyzing the literary elements of the text and by understanding how these elements work together to form up a cohesive whole. Formalist critics examine a text regardless of its time period, social/political/religious setting, and author’s background.