The document discusses the distinction between practical and theoretical criticism in literary theory, initiated by I.A. Richards in the 1920s. Theoretical criticism focuses on examining literary works through established theories, while practical criticism emphasizes close analysis of texts to understand their meanings and implications. The two types of criticism also differ in their approaches to the 'direction of fit' between beliefs and desires regarding the representation of the world.

1. Difference between Practical
and Theoretical Criticism
Hema Goswami
Sem -1
Paper -3 Literary theory and criticism-western-1
Submitted to Department of English MKBU
Enrollment no. 2069108420180020
Roll no. 15
Email id- hemagoswami474@gmail.com
Year 2017-2019

2. Literary
criticism
Theoretical
criticism
Practical
criticism

3. Theoretical criticism
• Examines literary
work in the light of
certain theories
• Uses a text as a
support
• Meaningfulness of
a theory

4. Practical criticism
• It is relatively a young discipline.
•Began in 1920s
•Started by I.A Richards, the Cambridge critic.
•Close analysis of text.

5. William Empson
 Seven types of
Ambiguity
 Most influential
student
 Profound impact
on New criticism

6. PRACTICAL CRITICISM
Experimental
Also called applied
criticism
THEORETICAL
CRITICISM
It is not experimental
It is opposite of applied
criticism
Display world-to-mind Display mind-to-world
It represent the world
as being a certain way
It represent the world as
to be made a certain way

7. Use of DOF to elaborate ‘mind to world’
and ‘world to mind’
• DOF- direction of fit
• Practical and theoretical
criticism displays
different directions of fit.

8. DOF in Theoretical Criticism
• Beliefs have a ‘mind to
world’ DOF(direction
of fit)
• They aim at fitting the
world, at being true.
Display mind-to-world

9. DOF in Practical Criticism
• Desires, on the other
hand have ‘world to
mind’ DOF(direction of
fit)
• They aim to change the
world to fit the desires
and not vice versa.
Display world-to-mind

10. The two content analysis
Indicative speech
• Theoretical criticism
displays logical
properties as an
indicative speech.
• Example- ‘The kitchen
door is shut’
• In the above example
someone is making an
assertion.
Imperative speech
• Practical criticism
displays logical
properties as an
imperative speech.
• Example- ‘Shut the
kitchen door’
• In the above example
someone is giving
command

12. Reference
• http://www.averyarcher.com/Pratical_vs_The
oretical_Attitudes__Display_Copy_.pdf
• https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/classroom/pra
crit.htm
• http://www.thefreedictionary.com/theoretical
+criticism