Prose is a straight forward form of literature, wherein the author

expresses his thoughts and feelings in a lucid way. Ideas can be 7. Sociological Criticism: This approach “examines
found in sentences, which are arranged in paragraph. Prose is literature in the cultural, economic and political context
an ordinary writing style in literature, which encompasses in which it is written or received,” exploring the
characters, plot, mood, theme, the point of view, setting, etc. relationships between the artist and society. Sometimes
making it a distinctive form of language. It is written using it examines the artist’s society to better understand the
grammatical sentences, which forms a paragraph. It may also author’s literary works; other times, it may examine the
include dialogues, and is sometimes, supported by images but representation of such societal elements within the
does not have a metrical structure. literature itself. One influential type of sociological
criticism is…
Poetry is that form of literature in which the poet uses a unique
style and rhythm, to express intense experience. Ideas can be Marxist criticism: which focuses on the economic and
found in lines, which are arranged in stanzas. Poetry is political elements of art, often emphasizing the
something that arouses a complete imaginative feeling, by ideological content of literature; because Marxist
choosing appropriate language and selective words and criticism often argues that all art is political, either
arranging them in a manner that creates a proper pattern, challenging or endorsing (by silence) the status quo, it is
rhyme (two or more words having identical ending sounds) and frequently evaluative and judgmental, a tendency that
rhythm (cadence of the poem). “can lead to reductive judgment, as when Soviet critics
rated Jack London better than William Faulkner,
Ernest Hemingway, Edith Wharton, and Henry James,
1. Formalist Criticism: All the basics necessary for
because he illustrated the principles of class struggle
understanding the work are limited within the work by
more clearly.” Nonetheless, Marxist criticism “can
itself. What is most noticeable of the formalist critic are
illuminate political and economic dimensions of
the basics of form-style, structure, tone, imagery, etc.-
literature other approaches overlook.”
that are found throughout the text. The key for
formalist critics is to determine how such elements work
8. Cultural Criticism: This lens examines the text from the
together with the text's subject to shape its effects upon
perspective of cultural attitudes and often focuses on
readers.
individuals within society who are marginalized or face
discrimination in some way. Cultural criticism may
2. Biographical Criticism: This is a more practical method
consider race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or
by which readers can better understand a text.
other characteristics that separate individuals in society
However, a biographical critic must be careful not to
and potentially lead to one feeling or being treated as
take the biographical facts of a writer's life too far in
“less than” another. It suggests that being included or
criticizing the works of that writer: the biographical
excluded from the dominant culture changes the way
critic focuses on clarifying the literary information by
one may view the text.
using insight from the author's life of experience like a
guide.
9. Deconstruction: is a school of literary criticism that
suggests that language is not a stable entity, and that
3. Moral/ Humanistic: Many poets have
we can never exactly say what we mean. Therefore,
strong ethical or religious convictions, but the moralist
literature cannot give a reader any one single meaning,
critic usually has a broader interest. Literature has a
because the language itself is simply too ambiguous.
humanizing or civilizing mission, and the critic values
Deconstructionists value the idea that literature cannot
work which furthers that end: promotes tolerance,
provide any outside meaning; texts cannot represent
social justice, sensitivity to individual wishes and talents,
reality. Thus, a deconstructionist critic will deliberately
etc.
emphasize the ambiguities of the language that
produce a variety of meanings and possible readings of
4. Historical Criticism: This approach helps the reader by
a text.
trying to re-create the work to modern times to make
it easier to understand, but also have the same effect
10. Reader-response criticism: is concerned with how the
just as the original audience. A key goal for historical
work is viewed by the audience. In this approach, the
critics is to understand the effect of a literary work upon
reader creates meaning, not the author or the work.
its original readers.
Once the work is published, the author is no longer
relevant.
5. Psychological Criticism: This approach reflects the effect
that modern psychology has had upon both literature
11. Gender Criticism: This approach shows how sexual
and literary criticism. This approach it's more diverse,
identity persuades a person to view ones literary art
and it splits into three categories: Investigates the
work. The bulk of gender criticism, however, is feminist
creative process of the arts, the psychological study of
and takes as a central precept that the chauvinistic
an artist, and the analysis of characters.
attitudes that have dominated in literature "full of
unexamined 'male-produced' assumptions." Sociological
6. Ecological Criticism: is the study of literature and
Criticism: This explores the relationships between the
environment from an interdisciplinary point of view
artist and society. Sometimes it examines the artist's
where all sciences come together to analyze the
society to better understand the author's literary works;
environment and brainstorm possible solutions for the
other times, it may examine the representation...
correction of the contemporary environmental
situation. Ecocriticism is an intentionally broad
approach that is known by a number of other
designations, including "green (cultural) studies",
"ecopoetics", and "environmental literary criticism".