Literary Theory and Criticism

New Criticism, a prominent school of criticism in the mid-20th century, emphasizes the importance of close reading and understanding the author's intention and context to interpret a literary work.

A metaphor is a literary device that directly compares two unlike things without using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Marxist Criticism analyzes literature through the lens of social class and economic structures, examining how these factors shape the work's themes, characters, and narrative.

Hyperbole is a literary device that uses exaggeration for emphasis or humorous effect.

Reader-Response Criticism, a school of criticism that emerged in the 1960s, emphasizes the importance of the reader's response and interpretation of a literary work.

Personification is a literary device that gives human qualities to an animal, object, or idea.

Feminist Criticism analyzes literature through the lens of gender, examining how gender roles and power dynamics shape the work's themes, characters, and narrative.

An oxymoron is a literary device that uses contrasting words or ideas for emphasis or effect.

Structuralism, a school of criticism that emerged in the mid-20th century, emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying structures and patterns in a literary work.

Anaphora is a literary device that uses repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or clauses for emphasis or effect.

New Historicism, a critical approach that emerged in the 1980s, focuses on the relationship between literature and its historical and cultural context.

A rhetorical question is a literary device that uses a question to emphasize a point or provoke thought, but does not expect an answer.

Biographical Criticism, a school of criticism that emerged in the 19th century, emphasizes the importance of understanding the author's biography and psychology in interpreting a literary work.

Litotes is a literary device that uses understatement for emphasis or humorous effect.

Intertextuality, a critical approach that emerged in the 1960s, focuses on the relationship between literature and other forms of cultural expression, such as film, art, and music.