One of its representatives, viktor shklovsky coined the term defamiliarization ostranenie in russian. How does it differ from other formalistic ideology. Both schools of thought believe that literature must be studied on its own terms. Russian formalism emerged in the opening decades of the twentieth century as a reaction to the mystification of literature found in the influential paneuropean arts movement of symbolism. The context for the work, including the reason for its creation, the historical background, and the life of the artist, is not considered to be significant. R commonly known as the soviet union, russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the soviet union in december 1991. And thats largely thanks to these russian dudes known as the formalists, who lived and worked at the turn of the 20th century in russia. It includes the work of a number of highly influential russian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the specificity and autonomy of poetic language and literature. Formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism.
A school of literary criticism that emerged in russia around 1915, 3. History, doctrine second revised edition by erlich, victory and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Points of convergence vitaly kiryushchenko state university, st. Close reading, which eschewed biographical and historical research, seemed ideally suited to the postwar influx of firstgeneration university students, many of whom did not share any common cultural background. Before the twentieth century, most literary theorists tended to view the relation between text and meaning through the prism of history, psychology, symbolism, and literary biography. Petersburg through the group opoyaz, and in moscow via the moscow linguistic circle. Tynyanov combined his skills as a historical novelist with formalism to produce, with jakobson, theses on language 1928, read more. Verfremdung in german, which refers to the intentional deviation from practical, everyday language in poetry and literature. They, as you might guess, started a movement in literary criticism called formalism. A historical analysis of hawthornes young goodman brown meghan harmon 26 formalism 33 historical background 33 russian formalism 35 reading as a formalist 36 form 36 diction 38 unity 40 what doesnt appear in formalist criticism 42 paraphrase 42 intention 42 biography 42. It includes the work of a number of highly influential russian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing the. Generally speaking, formalism is the concept which everything necessary in a work of art is contained within it. What are the major differences between russian formalism and.
Though considering the historical context of the birth of formalism seems contrary to the movement itself, it is important to signal that formalism was a reaction to and against marxist literary. In painting, formalism emphasizes compositional elements such as color, line, shape, texture, and other perceptual aspects rather than content, meaning, or the historical and social context. But its become a staple of the teaching of literature. He begins by distinguishing russian formalism from hermeneutics. Russian formalism was probably the first school in literary theory that looked at poetry and literature in general as true linguistic phenomena. Russian formalism was an influential school of literary criticism in russia from the 1910s to the 1930s. Formalism reduces the importance of a texts historical, biographical, and cultural context.
Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern europe and northern asia. It had its heyday in the 1920s and it acquired its name from. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the most comprehensive critique of formalism to date. Ms india stylistics is a systematic way of exploring a literary text especially the language of a text and tries to explain how language creates meaning, style.
An overview prasannata ramtirthe research scholar savitribai phule pune university pune. An overview and extended definition of formalism in. Eikhenbaums dependency on core ideas of marxist and darwinian philosophies of struggle and evolution is explained. These features include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices such as meter and tropes. Apr 27, 2020 the school of new criticism is comparable to russian formalism, although it did not evolve from it. Even though several of erlichs conclusions are erroneous this is an important study. This material explains the historical background of the concepts presented in chapter 5. Formalism, also called russian formalism, russian russky formalism, innovative 20thcentury russian school of literary criticism. It arose in opposition to earlier and competing schools of criticism, which the formalists believed were focusing too much on extraliterary concerns, like history, sociology, and psychology, and not. Eliot 196 formalism 197 russian formalism 197 the new criticism 202 viii contents. They enjoyed that independence until stalin shut them down. A readers guide to contemporary literary theory 5th edition. At its extreme, formalism in art history posits that everything necessary to comprehending a work of art is contained within the work of art. Examining formalism in light of more recent developments in literary theory, peter steiner here offers the.
These questions can be applicable to the analysis of a short story or a novel. A case for the literary carnivalesque formalism, also called russian formalism. It includes the work of a number of highly influential russian and soviet scholars such as viktor shklovsky, yuri tynianov, vladimir propp, boris eichenbaum, roman jakobson, boris tomashevsky, grigory gukovsky who revolutionised literary criticism between 1914 and the 1930s by establishing. The new criticism a dominant angloamerican critical theory that originated in the 1920s and 1930s, stressing the importance of reading a text as an independent and complete work of art. I give it 3 stars not because its not good, but who really enjoys reading russian formalist literary theory. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to reading and understanding literature. Russian formalism was a school of literary criticism in russia from the 1910s to the 1930s. Engl 300 lecture 7 russian formalism open yale courses.
Viktor shklovsky boris eichenbaum roman jakobson vladimir propp yuri. Russian formalism article about russian formalism by the. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to reading and understanding literature armstrong atlantic state university formalist theory has dominated the american literary scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has. From formalism to poststructuralism raman selden volume 8 of the cambridge history of literary criticism the second to be published deals with the most hotly debated areas of literary theory, including structuralism. A readers guide to contemporary literary theory fifth edition. Russian formalism was born, as one should suspect, in russia, specifically in moscow, in the early twentieth century, between 1910 and 1915. Russian formalism and defamiliarization on world literature. The focus is on form, not content, on language, not on exophora biography, culture, history, religion 6. The russian michail bakhtin is a highly original thinker who moves between the boundaries of russian formalism and contemporary critical theory. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach to. The russian formalists emerged from the russian revolution with ideas about the independence of literature.
Dec 06, 2011 any introductory study into formalism relies on looking at the historical and social movements that were shaping such an emergent mode of criticism. The upshot is that russians rise against tsar nicholas ii and that creepy guy whos always trailing him, rasputin and kaboom. Formalist theory has dominated the american literary scene for most of the twentieth century, and it has retained its great influence in many academic quarters. Russian formalism, one of the twentieth centurys most important movements in literary criticism, has received far less attention than most of its rivals. Viktor shklovsky boris eichenbaum roman jakobson vladimir propp yuri tynianov understand artworks. It cannot be evaluated in terms of cultural and historical externalities. Important formalists included roman jakobson and viktor shklovsky. Shklovsky makes cleanth brooks look positively curmudgeonly. Opoyaz, an acronym for russian words meaning society for the study of poetic language, founded in 1916 at st. A formalist approach 4 the shift from the moral approach to the scientific one is important. Richards ibid ideological imaginative literature insisted jazyka jurij. The american new critics began to popularize their ideas shortly before the rapid expansion of the university system after world war ii. Modern narrative theory begins with russian formalism in the 1920s, specifically with the work of roman jakobson, yury tynyanov, and viktor shklovsky. These features include not only grammar and syntax but also literary devices.
Get an answer for what are the features of russian formalism. The author substantiates leading position of social psychology relying on russian culture historical school, wfestem psychology and psychology of science in the studies of research cultures and. It is the first comprehensive book in the west on russian formalism. Jun 11, 2014 this is a picture of viktor shklovsky, one of the main voices behind a way of thinking about literature that today is known as russian formalism. The focus of study should be the literary strategies and craft of the writer.
Adios, russian monarchy or should we say do svidaniya. A checklist of formalist critical questions here is a list of some questions from a formalist perspective. Formalism russian a brief but influential 20thcentury critical method that originated in st. A historical analysis of hawthornes young goodman brown by meghan harmon 27 3 formalism 33 historical background 34 russian formalism 35 mikhail bakhtin 36 reading as a formalist 40 form 41 diction 43 unity 45 what doesnt appear in formalist criticism 46 writing a formalist analysis 47 prewriting 47. Formalists arent interested in the historical context of a literary work. The new criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated american literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. Early formalism developed quite independently in america and russia but it was russian formalism, which flourished during the pre and postrevolutionary period in russia, that had the more farreaching effects. The end of the century set the stage for the reign of prince oleg, famous for the unification of the novgorod and kiev regencies, and later the transfer of the capital from novgorod to kiev. Russian formalism is a lot more comprehensive and flexible than american formalism. Petersburg later leningrad and led by viktor shklovsky. Moving thru historical creation of each approach starting in 20th c criticism roots in other philosophers aristotle, longinus, etc. Roman osipovich jakobson october 11, 1896 july 18, 1982 was a russian thinker who became one of the most influential linguists of the twentieth century by pioneering the development of structural analysis of language, poetry, and art.
Jan 16, 2017 before the twentieth century, most literary theorists tended to view the relation between text and meaning through the prism of history, psychology, symbolism, and literary biography. Russian formalism exerted a major influence on thinke. The formalists were allies of the futurists and they included linguists, literary historians, and critics, but also poets. Formalism also known as new criticism a basic approach. From formalism to poststructuralism raman selden volume 8 of the cambridge history of literary criticism the second to be published deals with the most hotly debated areas of literary theory, including structuralism, poststructuralism, semiotics, and hermeneutics. By then, however, they had produced essays that remain among the best defenses ever written for both literature and its theory. Once the preeminent republic of the union of soviet socialist republics u. It had its heyday in the 1920s and it acquired its name from its emphasis on form rather than on content. Any introductory study into formalism relies on looking at the historical and social movements that were shaping such an emergent mode of criticism. Petersburg russia abstract it is a prevailing opinion nowadays that saussurean semiology and peircean theory of signs are two major semiotic schools which, although they have certain theoretical and historical background in common. Jan 01, 1973 i give it 3 stars not because its not good, but who really enjoys reading russian formalist literary theory. Russian literary criticism in the nineteenth century literature is the essence of a nations history. This is a picture of viktor shklovsky, one of the main voices behind a way of thinking about literature that today is known as russian formalism.