New CriticismLiterary Criticism
New Criticism, a school of literary criticism that emerged in the mid-20th century, focuses on close reading and analysis of texts in isolation from their historical or biographical contexts. This approach emphasizes the text itself as the primary source of meaning, with a focus on form, structure, and language. New Critics often examine the interplay of various literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, and irony to uncover the deeper layers of meaning within a work of literature. This method of criticism seeks to uncover universal truths and explore the inherent complexities of a text through a rigorous examination of its formal elements.