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12. Samuel Johnson.pptx jhabbhis jsvsjbb
- 1. The Critical Brilliance of SamuelJohnson AN EXPLORATION OF HIS LITERARY CRITICISM
- 2. Introduction ●Best known for:two-volume Dictionary of the English Language (1755) and Lives of the English Poets (1783) ●Distinguished career as poet, biographer, essayist and journalist. ●His contribution to English criticism laid foundation for literary canon 🡪 (standards) ●As a literary critic he was an exponent of classicism. ○ He condemned everything that did not conform to classical doctrines.
- 3. Johnson as acritic ●Direct and invaluable knowledge of the creative process ○ his pronouncements represent a lifelong interest in and association with literature. ●Johnson was an empirical critic. ●Johnson's beliefs and his statements of them have frequently been interpreted as excessively dogmatic. ●Critics choose to view Johnson as an eccentric, 🡪 the last defender of an obsolete neo-classical tradition ●Truth, nature and reason were basic to Johnson's criticism. ●Did not favor rigid standards in literary text or strict following of rules ○ conventions + reason and common sense
- 4. Practical Criticism ● Johnsonis the first English critic to attempt a systematic work in the field of practical criticism. ●It is as much a history of the English poetry of this period as a work of criticism. ●Johnson's literary criticism is particularly noteworthy for its depth, insight, and originality. ●His critical writings cover a wide range of genres and authors, including Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, and Swift, among others. ●His “Lives of the Poets” is a biographical + critical account of fifty two poets from Cowley to Gray covering a period of a hundred years.
- 5. Johnson’s Approach toLiterary Criticism ●Johnson believed that the primary purpose of literary criticism was to help readers understand and appreciate works of literature. ●He emphasized the importance of studying the historical and cultural context in which a work was written, as well as the author's intentions and the techniques they used to convey their message. ●Johnson also believed that literary criticism should be grounded in reason and common sense, rather than arbitrary rules or personal preferences. ●He famously declared that; ●'the business of the critic is not to find fault, but to show beauties.'
- 6. Value of Criticism ●Johnson is the last great critic of the neo - classical school. ●He has a code of conduct both for the writer and the critic. ●In his historical approach to an author’s work he questions the validity of the same rules for all ages. ●He pleads for suitable adjustments in them in the light of the author’s environment. ●His other test of excellence – ‘the general and continued approbation of mankind’ (which he applies to Shakespeare) also disposes of the necessity of rules. ●Neo – Classicism stresses the means – the rules, as they are called – no less than the end. Johnson’s test stresses the end only.
- 7. Ancients vs. Neo-classicism ●Therewere the rules of the ancients and those of the neo – classicists. ○ subject to change ‘ 🡪 every new genius produces some innovation which subverts the rules which the practice of foregoing authors had established’ says Dr.Johnson. ●They could be divided into two categories – ○ the fundamental and indispensable based on nature and reason; 🡪 ○ and those that were ‘merely useful and convenient’ deriving their force from earlier 🡪 practice. ○ No writer could bypass the former free to follow or not to follow the latter. 🡪 ●Johnson subjects the work to the test of time. ●No doubt, Johnson is a neo – classical critic but never stands for a blind reverence to authority, ancient or modern He is for liberty. 🡪
- 8. On Kinds ofPoetry, Versification and Poetic Diction ● Johnson considers the epic superior to all other forms of verse. ○ Following the French neoclassicists, ○ Epic poetry teaches the most important truths by the most pleasing percepts. ●Among the verse forms the Pastoral and the Pindaric ode made the least 🡪 impression on him. ○ may not please the readers of the modern age. ●He is for regular meters and rhymes. 🡪 prefers the heroic couplet to all other stanza forms. ●He also defines the language of poetry: ‘Not all words are fit for poetry’, says Johnson. ‘Words too familiar or too remote’ defeat the purpose of a poet.
- 9. On Drama ●Drama musthold up ‘a faithful mirror of manners and of life’. It should present ‘human sentiments in human language’. ●A great play is not a story of a few men in one particular age, but through them, of all men in all ages: the actions, thoughts and passions. ○ Among the three unities, Johnson says that only the unity of action is justified by reason. ●He follows a very realistic approach on the tragic - comedy. ○ the alternation of pleasure and pain in a play pleases by its variety and it reflects life.
- 10. Three issues inhis Preface 1. the question of establishing poet’s status, 2. the relationship between a poet and nature, 3. and the question of nature and experience against criticism and set conventions.
- 11. Truth and Facts ●'The Preface to Shakespeare' Johnson's judgment of Shakespeare as a dramatist. 🡪 ○ Dr. Johnson defends Shakespeare for his mingling of the tragic and comic elements in his plays 🡪 on the grounds of realism and historical background. ●According to Johnson, the basic requirement of literary greatness is fidelity to facts of nature. ●This is clearly the neo-classical theory of art as imitation. ○ Johnson praises Shakespeare for meeting this requirement fully and most satisfactorily. ●According to him, Shakespeare is, par excellence, the poet of nature + realism ○ He holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life. ○ His characters have a realistic and universal appeal They 🡪 act and speak like human beings. ○ His depiction of the truth of human nature and human psychology love is not the only emotion that impacts 🡪 the totality of life ○ Full of practical axioms and domestic wisdom
- 12. Three Unities ●Shakespeare neglectof the unities of time and place. 🡪 ●But Johnson defends him in this matter. ○ He argues that if an audience in a theatre can accept the stage as a locality in the city of Rome, they will also accept the change from Rome to Alexandria. ●He concludes 🡪 the unities of time and place are not essential to a good play.
- 13. Criticism of Shakespeare ●Oneof Johnson's most famous critical works is his edition of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1765. It remains a landmark in Shakespearean scholarship and has influenced generations of critics and scholars. ●In this work, Johnson defends Shakespeare against charges of inconsistency and lack of taste. ●He argues that his genius lies in his ability to capture the complexity and contradictions of human nature. ●Johnson's edition of Shakespeare was groundbreaking in its attention to textual accuracy and historical context.
- 14. Faults of Shakespeare ●Accordingto him, Shakespeare tries more to please his audience than to instruct them. ○ It seems that he writes without any moral purpose. ●His plots are often very loosely formed and carelessly pursued. ●His comic scenes are seldom very successful the jests are generally 🡪 indecent. ●He accuses Shakespeare of employing a disproportionate pomp of diction in his tragic plays. ●He condemns Shakespeare for inappropriate use of idle conceit and his over-fondness for quibbles.
- 15. Criticism: Life ofMilton ●Milton was considered the most learned Eng. author ○ ‘Paradise Lost’ Considered one of the greatest epics of Eng. Literature 🡪 ○ Still calls it a ‘work of genius’ unites pleasure and truth 🡪 ○ Praises vivid imagery, ●Dr. Johnson was prejudices against Milton Johnson hated Milton’s democratic principles 🡪 and despised his impracticable philosophy. ●Rejects his radical 17th Century ideals ○ Lacks originality and clarity of thought ○ Lack of human actions ●Critical of some aspects of Milton's style 🡪 use of complex syntax and neologisms. ●Despite these criticisms, Johnson recognized the power of Milton's poetry. ●His commentary on 'Paradise Lost' remains an important contribution to Miltonic scholarship.
- 16. On Milton’s Structure ●Johnsonargued that Milton's structure in "Paradise Lost" lacked coherence and consistency. ●He found fault with the poem's division into twelve books it resulted in 🡪 uneven pacing and an imbalance of material. ●According to Johnson, this unevenness affected the overall unity and effectiveness of the work.
- 17. On Milton’sLanguage ●Johnson criticizedMilton's use of language in "Paradise Lost" for being too complex and convoluted. ●He believed that Milton's style was unnecessarily ornate and overloaded with excessive rhetorical devices ●His language made the poem difficult to read and comprehend. ●Johnson preferred a more straightforward and clear style of writing.
- 18. On Milton’s Characterization ●Anotherpoint of criticism by Johnson was Milton's portrayal of certain characters, particularly Satan. ●Johnson found fault with Milton's depiction of Satan as a sympathetic and almost heroic figure. ●He argued that such a portrayal could mislead and corrupt the reader, as Satan is essentially a malevolent and fallen being.
- 19. Legacy as aLiterary Critic ●Johnson's impact on literary criticism cannot be overstated. Johnson was a literary critic who was known for his rigorous and compassionate approach. ●His emphasis on close reading, historical context, and authorial intention helped to establish the field of literary criticism as we know it today. ●He aimed to shed light on the beauty and complexity of the works he studied. ●Moreover, Johnson's critical writings are notable for their clarity, wit, and humanity. ●His legacy as a critic is a testament to how literature can enrich our lives and deepen our understanding of the world. ●He understood that literature has the power to move and inspire us, and his criticism reflects this deep appreciation for the art of writing.
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