ENGL 345: Practical Criticism

Professor T.H. Scherman

Click here for the page containing Poems for Critical Study

1.  Notes on Critical Writing

This is a longish handout that more or less summarizes not my theory of critical writing but more likely the kinds of comments I find myself making over and over again in the margins of student papers.  In fact when my colleagues send me things to mark up, I often find myself reminding THEM of some of these things too.  Much of the rhetorical stuff is inspired by George Gopen and his colleague David Williams, the latter of whom has a very nice book in its 337th edition or something entitled Style: Ten Lessons to Clarity and Grace.  The rest is probably Strunk and White.

2.  Introductions to Literary Theories

New Criticism

• An example (perhaps a parody) of New Criticism
• Cleanth Brooks: "Irony as a Principle of Structure"

Reader Response Criticism

• An example of Reader-Response Criticism: a 17th century poem
• Another example: from Willis Buckingham, "Poetry Readers and Reading in the 1890s--Emily Dickinson's First Reception"

Deconstruction

• An example paper: "Margaret Atwood's 'You Begin': Deconstruction in Action"

• Warren Hedges's Deconstruction Page

Psychoanalytic Criticism

• Sigmund Freud: "The Uncanny"

Ideological Criticisms

• Marxist Criticism
  
  • A local example of Marxist Criticism

• Feminist Criticism
  
  • Feminist Literary Criticism and Theory--a survey from Johns Hopkins
  • A Brief Example of Feminist Literary Criticism in Action

• Multiculturalist Criticism
  • A brief example of Multiculturalist criticism

New Historicist Criticism

3.  Reviews for Exams

a typical midterm exam review

a typical final exam review

a typical final exam with sample "good answers" from students

4.   A Summary: Your Critical Tool Kit