Formalism literary theory | literary criticism

 Formalism literary theory

Formalism in literature

Formalism:

Literary critical theory of formalism appeared near 2nd decade of 20th century.

Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary theory. Formalism may be defined as a critical approach in which the text under discussion is considered primarily as a structure of words. The main focus of formalists is on the arrangement of language, rather than on the biographical and historical relevance of the work.

Characteristics of Formalists at that time:

ü Formalists isolate properties of poetic language

ü Autonomous nature of literature

ü No effect of culture settings

ü Study asthmatic devices which provide literariness to literature

ü No historical and biographical content on work

Major group of Formalism:

There are two famous groups of formalism:

1- Mascow linguistics circle:

It appears in 1915. Its work was on study the prose.

Famous Formalists were Roman Jackobson, Petre Bogatysev & Grigori

2- Petersburg Opojaz:

It studies the poetic language in 1916. Famous Formalists were Vinktor and Boris.

All of the theorists who were against many trends criticized the Formalism because they wanted to get rid from Psychogism and biographism.

It has 3 periods:

1- First period starts from 1916 to 1921. They focus on poetic language and prose composition.

2- Second starts in 1921 -1928. They attempted to re-examine many literary problems.

3- Third period of Formalism starts in 1928- 1835. They declined information trends due to its historical and political pressure.

Main characteristics of Formalists:

·        Formalists oppose this believe that only real things verifiable by sense and they were against biographical determinism and Symbolism.

·        They believe poetry is non referential

·        No subjective reading, analysis of literature

·        They had great influence of Kant and ST- Coleridge

·        They believe all part of poem are interconnected/dependent/ United as a whole

·        Russian Formalists believed Literature has nothing to do with life. It is self Sufficient.

·        Formalists never focused on material literature but it's literariness (quality of being literary)

·        They studied what techniques and devices make a work and everyday languages

For Jackobson

"Poeticity is a state of language going beyond conflict of reffering to external reality and becoming meaningful written system with the help of its form only”

Two important concepts of Poetry in Formalism:

1- Deformation
2- De- familiarization

 

Deformation:

Deformation is concept of making changes to language using poetic devices and artistic elements which Change it to a piece with asthmatic value.

De- familiarization:

Literature makes common things interesting to us. It helps fighting boredom, repetition and to find out the beauty in daily life.

De- familiarization is achieved by Inventive use of Language & poetic devices and techniques. They like poetic literature but do not give much value to its poet.

They believe using techniques anyone can become a poet.

Theories of Prose in Formalism

In formalism Prose is divided into two parts:

1- Fabula: Story in chronological order.

2- Sywzhet: Order in which story is presented also known as Plot.

It make story more interesting and fills the curiosity in readers to know what is going to happen next. Sywzhet de- familiarise the story for readers.

Famous writers and their concepts in Formalism:

E.M.Fosts:

He says in his famous novel( Aspects of novel") That *"  How one incident leads to another and Sywzhet changes aspects of the story for the readers.Fabula and Sywzhet are very similar in narrology and fictional poetry.He says *" By using techniques like selection then conceivement and distancing writer can take different point of views.

Milan Kundra:

He was post-modernist Formalist.

He wrote Quranic methodology.

Wayne C .Booth and Tzvetan Tondorove:

They believe as rhymes rhythms and meter makes poetry similarly Fabula creates the prose in story.

They called all these techniques Derivation (Move from ordinary).

In Greek and Shakespeare's drama these techniques are also found.

Roman Jackobson:

He reviews that imagery is very poor technique because it is too much direct. It shows the reader whatever the writer want to show and break the curiosity. He says*" complex techniques should be used instead of Imagery".

Concept of Retardation:

He says where a reader has no direct excess to the work of art or literature it will raise the interest of the reader. It prolonged the story.

Rene Well:

Rene Well criticized Formalism by saying that it is too much scientific while literature is not scientific.

Formalists believed by using different techniques novelty comes in work of work and by repetition it loose from the work.

He says with no importance to the author a work or poetry becomes only a puzzle where reader is looking for the clues to find out what is hidden in the work.

Julia Kristeva:

She was modernist poet. She says" Formalism is too mechanical. There is no creativity at all which is important in literature. Every text, poetry and prose has historical importance which cannot be neglected. She rejected the theory for being Anti- social only.