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Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. It has existed for as long as literature itself, with important early examples found in the works of Aristotle and Plato from ancient Greece. Literary criticism developed further during the Renaissance and was heavily influenced by Aristotle's Poetics. In the early 20th century, schools like Russian Formalism and New Criticism came to dominate literary study by emphasizing close reading of texts over considerations of authorial intent or biography. Literary theory also grew influential starting in the late 1960s, introducing philosophical and structuralist perspectives. Today, literary criticism incorporates diverse theoretical and historical approaches.