We’ve all heard our friends and family write off artistic criticism. Often times it is under the guise of, “Well, all art’s subjective.” However, understanding that principle seems sound, but it also downplays the important aspects of criticism. In this post, we will look at the definition of subjectivity and objectivity in art. Then, we will disseminate our own understanding of the two terms.
Continue reading Is Art Really Just Subjective? Rethinking Artistic CriticismMonthly Archives: June 2020
The Importance of New Historicism in Literary Criticism
Critical examination is important in both academic and private realms. In order to competently engage with criticism, we often have to employ a lens. And there are many of them in academia. New Historicism, for instance, is just one of these multitudes. While there are no “correct” ways to critique, I think there are lenses that are more commonly implemented. In this way, New Historicism is common, but it is also an extremely important lens for critical examination.
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Close Reading and New Criticism: An In-Depth Exploration
New Criticism is a critical look at a piece of art’s form and structure, and it is another form of literary analysis. Whether that be a painting or a piece of music, it’s all about looking at the conventions of the work itself. Much of this is in the this particular criticism’s philosophy. For the purposes of this post, we will look at New Criticism and its influence on texts across literary history.
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Daniel Defoe: Progenitor of the Modern Novel
Daniel Defoe is recognized as one of England’s first novelists. And, rightfully so, because to his credit, he wrote one of the most influential books ever penned. He also wasn’t afraid to shy away from controversy with his political leanings. Both long and short confrontational and epic pieces worked for Defoe.
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Exploring William Makepeace Thackeray’s Satirical Genius
Satire and the realist movement go hand-in-hand, considering Charles Dickens did it so well across multiple novels. Meanwhile, William Makepeace Thackeray was also behind the curtain, churning out masterpieces of realism and satire. Yet, through all of his writing, he is primarily known for one piece of fiction: Vanity Fair. In this post, we will explore his life and times.
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The Art of Procatalepsis: Defend Your Arguments in Advance
When you start digging into literature, you start finding a lot of Greek words. the Greeks had a significant impact on language for multiple reasons. They were certainly cultured and used one of the first alphabets. In this post, we are going to analyze one of these words, specifically “procatalepsis.” It holds significant rhetorical value.
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Mastering Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs in English
Many people struggle with the difference between homonyms, homophones, and homographs. It’s not too much to say that the English language is difficult. But, hopefully, today we can learn to distinguish between each of them and look at the similarities and differences between each.
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Emulation and Immersion: Key to Writing Voice
As a short story and novel dabbler, I often wonder how my voice can come through in some sections of a story and then totally fall flat in others. Am I not being true to myself? Am I not tapping into the muse? Are the writing gods forsaking me? What other myths can I use to convince myself there is an easy track to developing my own voice as a writer? For this post, I am going to look at what is typically recommended for writers to develop a distinctive writing voice.
Continue reading Emulation and Immersion: Key to Writing VoiceDeveloping a Writing Voice through Emulation and Immersion
As a short story and novel dabbler, I often wonder how my voice can come through in some sections of a story and then totally fall flat in others. Am I not being true to myself? Am I not tapping into the muse? Are the writing gods forsaking me? What other myths can I use to convince myself there is an easy track to developing my own voice as a writer? For this post, I am going to look at what is typically recommended for writers to develop a distinctive writing voice.
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Author Saul Bellow: Cynicism, Journalism, and Insight
Journalism and a cynical eye go together well. Just check out Saul Bellow. Bellow’s own experience as a journalist, and a cynical one at that, can be the doorway for readers and writers to see how one’s background concretely influences their work. If you are interested in this type of writing then you would probably enjoy Humboldt’s Gift, The Adventures of Augie March, and Dangling Man. Probably part of the attraction to his writing stems from my own experience as a journalist, which provides some relationship to his time as a correspondent.
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