ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Moral / Philosophical Approach: Definition: Moral / philosophical critics believe that the larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues. Advantages: This approach is useful for such works as Alexander Pope’s “An Essay on Man, ” which does present an obvious moral philosophy.

Detailed explanation-2: -Biographical criticism is often associated with historical-biographical criticism, a critical method that “sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author’s life and times".

Detailed explanation-3: -Formalist Criticism regards literature as “a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms.” All the elements necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself.

Detailed explanation-4: -Formalist Criticism emphasizes the form of a literary work to determine its meaning, focusing on literary elements and how they work to create meaning. Examines a text as independent from its time period, social setting, and author’s background.