Trace the development from ' Criticism ' to Theory. and What was Plato's classification of poetry?

The development from ' Criticism ' to Theory

 

Answer:

The notable development in the literary studies, as these have evolved in all English Speaking countries over the past quarter - century or so, is the proliferation from a great many critical positions, of what has come to be known simply from the great many critical positions, of what has come to be known simple as “theory “. This explosion of “theory " is due to radical disagreement over interpreting almost every social, cultural phenomenon. Whereas social scientist evolved theories earlier in order to tune their investigation to scientific methods literary critics took their cue from the social scientists. And, social scientist included literature in the broad scope of their investigation. By criticism, then what we need to understand in the context of pre - theory, is what has come to be known as the liberal humanist tradition. In fact “liberal humanism " stands as an antonym to “theory”, though the former is itself a theoretical position. Though most of the New Critics were conservative in their ideological stance, many others were liberal humanists.

 

What was Plato's classification of poetry? 

Ans . Plato first of all classified poetry into three categories - ( I ) the dithyrambic or the purely lyrical , ( ii ) the purely mimetic and imitative , such as drama , in which life is imitated in action or speech , and ( iii ) the mixed type , such as the epic , in which the poet partly indulges in lyrical flights and partly introduces action and speech . Aristotle also classified drama into tragedy and comedy. He accepts ' pity ' and ' fear ' as the emotions proper to tragedy. Though he does not use the word catharsis, he hints at the process when he speaks of external action subsiding the agitation within as when a crying child is rocked by the nurse, and is thus pacified. Atkins says: “With his remarks on comedy may be said to begin the theory of the ludicrous in antiquity.” According to him the ludicrous is the outcome, to some extent, of defects in persons, he hints at a profound truth, for true laughter can result only when we like the person exposed to ridicule. Plato is against excessive laughter because it leads to violent reactions