Verfremdung in german, which refers to the intentional deviation from practical, everyday language in poetry and literature. Formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism. Language 1919, and in modern russian poetry 1921 by roman. Nonetheless, formalism received a counteroffensive in the 1950s. Most importantly, the literary theory known as structuralism developed as an outgrowth of linguistic theories aiming to. It might be considered as a suitable departing point to the understanding of this literary theory.
Its central tenant is that the text of the writers work should be the focus of any inquiry or criticism regarding the work. This fact is reflected in the relative agreement among students. Formalists disagreed about what specific elements make a literary work good or bad. By nasrullah mambrol on april 25, 2017 0 modern narrative theory begins with russian formalism in the 1920s, specifically with the work of roman jakobson, yury tynyanov, and viktor shklovsky. Get an answer for what are the features of russian formalism. Formalism had been a necessary stage in the development of literary criticism because without its theory of imma. Russian formalists interested in the analysis of the text but theirmain concern was with method as the scientific basis for literary theory. Writing about a school of literary theory from the past, i indeed have nothing but words at my disposal and no polonius as a whipping boy. Russian formalism, which emerged around 1915 and flourished in the 1920s, was associated with the opojaz society for the study of poetic language and with the moscow linguistic society one of the leading figures of which was roman jakobson and prague linguistic circle established in 1926, with major figures as boris eichenbaum and viktor. Russian formalism by victor erlich in the last two decades, the western student of literature has come increasingly cognizant of the body of literary theorizing practical criticism known as russian formalism. These questions can be applicable to the analysis of a short story or a novel. The attempt of this school was to make the study of literature more scientific in nature. Between theory and russian formalism alexandra urakova. Its principles posed a great shift from the traditional approaches during its time, and so it sparked a movement in the field of literary studies that would.
I began to see formalism, in fact, not as a school in the ordinary sense of the word, but as a peculiar developmental stage in the history of slavic literary theory. Engl 300 lecture 7 russian formalism open yale courses. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to. The presentation explicates the school of theory and analysis which emerged around 1915 in russia and aimed teo create the science of literature. Formalism, new criticism, structuralism, poststructuralism. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the. Formalist literary theory 11 november 2016 formalism is a literary theory that was spearheaded by two main bodies russian formalists and new critics which focused on understanding the literary text through the text itself. Pdf the presentation explicates the school of theory and analysis which emerged around 1915 in russia and aimed teo create the science of. The formalist approach regards literature as a very specific unit of human knowledge that has to be examined on its own terms and for its own sake. Russian formalism was a school of literary criticism in russia from the 1910s to the 1930s. Russian formalism quick reference a school of literary theory and analysis that emerged in russia around 1915, devoting itself to the study of literariness, i. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the most comprehensive critique of. Click download or read online button to get russian formalism book now.
Structuralism holds that relationships between concepts are dependent on the culture and language in which the concepts are created. Second edition 2005 russian formalism is the name for a group of literary scholars and linguists who between 1916 and 1929, while most were still in their twenties, developed a series of innovative theoretical concepts, claims, models, and methodological norms concerning various aspects of the literary system and its study. A readers guide to contemporary literary theory 5th edition. What are some good examples of formalism in literature. The formalist approach focuses on the form of the literary text itself. Leavis 23 2 russian formalism and the bakhtin school 29 shklovsky, mukar. Petersburg later leningrad and led by viktor shklovsky. But its russian counterpart was far more resistant to synthesis. Russian formali sm was a school of literary criticism i n russ ia from the 1910s to the 1930s. Among the notable theorists of russian formalism, may be mentioned boris eichenbaum, victor shklovsky, yuru tynyanov and roman jakobson. Get an answer for what is russian formalism, and what was its effect on literature.
Literature and revolution as we approach the 100th year anniversary of the russian revolution, we are. Russian formalism, which emerged around 1915 and flourished in the 1920s, was associated with the opojaz society for the study of poetic language and with the moscow linguistic society one of the leading figures of which was roman jakobson and prague. The field of literary criticism has been moulded by various criticisms like mimetic criticism, pragmatic criticism, expressive criticism, historical criticism, biographical criticism, sociological criticism, psychological criticism and archetypal. Some of its concepts are still in use today in literary criticism. Russian formalism, marxism, poetics, socialist realism, science, art. Russian formalism was probably the first school in literary theory that looked at poetry and literature in general as true linguistic phenomena. Mar 19, 2020 russian formalism influenced the literary theory of structuralism. A type of literary theory and analysis which originated in moscow and st. This is a brief presentation of the basic concepts introduced by russian formalism. The theory behind defamiliarisation is that, literary writing deviates from ordinary language and enables the reader to view the world in a strange way. The poetics of the body in edgar allan poes short fiction. Russian formalism second edition 2005 russian formalism is the name for a group of literary scholars and linguists who between 1916 and 1929, while most were still in their twenties, developed a series of innovative theoretical concepts, claims. Bakhtin 18951975 mikhail bakhtin is best known for his radical philosophy of language, as well as his theory of the novel, underpinned by concepts such as dialogism, polyphony, and carnival.
It includes the work of a number of highly influential russian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the. An important question to consider is why a theory in poetics should have stirred the heated debate, about questions of ideology and art, in the first place. Feb 18, 2015 this is a brief presentation of the basic concepts introduced by russian formalism. Steiner, 1984, cornell university press edition, pdf in english. How does it differ from other formalistic ideology. Before the twentieth century, most literary theorists tended to view the relation between text and meaning through the prism of history, psychology, symbolism, and literary biography.
What is russian formalism, and what was its effect on. Russian formalisms intense interest in the major questions informing the practice of literary criticism i. There was thusa shift away from the moral approach to literature towards a scientific approach. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content r e v i e w poes body poetics. Important formalists included roman jakobson and viktor shklovsky. The impact of russian formalism on linguistic structuralism. Even though several of erlichs conclusions are erroneous this is an important study. A formalist approach 4 the shift from the moral approach to the scientific one is important. Tynyanov combined his skills as a historical novelist with formalism to produce, with jakobson, theses on language 1928.
Eikhenbaums dependency on core ideas of marxist and darwinian philosophies of struggle and evolution is explained. Literary criticism new criticism and russian formalism. It might be considered as a suitable departing point to the understanding o slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Most leaders dont even know the game theyre in simon sinek at live2lead 2016 duration.
Russian formalism, new criticism, neoaristotelianism. An essay by nasrullah mambrol on march 17, 2016 10. Formalism is a literary theory that was spearheaded by two main bodies russian formalists and new critics which focused on understanding the literary text through the text itself. Viktor shklovskys toward a theory of the comic analyzes the problem geometrically. Study flashcards on literary criticism new criticism and russian formalism at. Victor shklovskys 1914 essay on futurist poetry, the resurrection of the word marked the beginning of russian formalism. Two schools of formalist literary criticism developed, russian formalism, and soon after angloamerican new criticism. Formalism formalism is the view that theoretical information about an object, or practical guidance about how to treat it, are to be derived from attention to its form rather than its matter or content. Russian formalism download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Petersburg through the group opoyaz, and in moscow via the moscow linguistic circle. According to russian formalism, poetry is the quintessential form of literary language, as it presents speech organized in its entire phonic structure, which deforms practical language to draw attention to itself. A school of literary theory and analysis that emerged in russia around 1915, devoting itself to the study of. Russian formalism is a school of literary criticism formed in russia that became highly influential in the early decades of the 1900s.
It was not until after the russian revolution in 1917 that ther. Russian formalism, which emerged around 1915 and flourished in the 1920s, was associated with the opojaz society for the study of poetic language and with the moscow linguistic society one of the leading figures of which was roman jakobson and. The following notes are from noel carrolls essay on formalism in the routledge companion to aesthetics. Formalism began in russia during the 20th century by a group of linguis. What is implied here is not the russian ant of the supranational formalist trend which asserts itself pe cally in art and in literary criticism. Todays idea of humor compels a psychological reading, but russian formalism, which practiced replacing psychology with structure, offers an alternative. Dec 09, 2012 russian formalists interested in the analysis of the text but theirmain concern was with method as the scientific basis for literary theory. He begins by distinguishing russian formalism from hermeneutics.
It includes the work of a number of highly influent ial russ ian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Rene wellek, the literary theory and aesthetics of the prague school, in discriminations. A checklist of formalist critical questions here is a list of some questions from a formalist perspective. Russian formalism was a literary movement a school of literary criticism that emerged in former soviet union in early phase of 20 th century. Form and content according to russian formalism, to understand literature one has to look at the form as well as the content. Formalism was the dominant mode of academic literary study in the us at least from the end of the second world war through the 1970s, especially as embodied in rene wellek and austin warrens theory of literature 1948, 1955. It is the first comprehensive book in the west on russian formalism. Opoyaz, an acronym for russian words meaning society for the study of poetic language, founded in 1916 at st.
Russian formalism the johns hopkins guide to literary. Formalism russian a brief but influential 20thcentury critical method that originated in st. What are the major differences between russian formalism. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to reading and understanding literature armstrong atlantic state university formalist theory has dominated the american literary scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the most comprehensive critique of formalism to date. One of its representatives, viktor shklovsky coined the term defamiliarization ostranenie in russian. In music theory and especially in the branch of study called the aesthetics of music, formalism is the concept that a compositions meaning is entirely determined by its form. Formalism is a method of criticism which examines a literary text or artwork through its aesthetic composition such as form, language, technique and style formalism, 2018. It is excellent in many ways but it is a pity that erlich pretty much reduces viktor shklovskys importance in the movement. At first, opponents of the movement of russian formalism applied the term formalism derogatorily, because of its focus on the formal patterns and technical devices of literature to the exclusion of its subject matter and social values. What are the major differences between russian formalism and. Russian formalism malist literary theory by portraying it as unoriginal and deriva tive, since in russian letters the concern with literary form had preceded the. Russian formalism, one of the twentieth centurys most important movements in literary criticism, has received far less attention than most of its rivals.
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