Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays (Princeton Classics Book 70)

**A landmark work of literary criticism** Northrop Frye's __Anatomy of Criticism__ is the magnum opus of one of the most important and influential literary theorists of the twentieth century. Breaking with the practice of close reading of individual texts, Frye seeks to describe a common basis for understanding the full range of literary forms by examining archetypes, genres, poetic language, and the relations among the text, the reader, and society. Using a dazzling array of examples, he argues that understanding "the structure of literature as a total form" also allows us to see the profoundly liberating effect literature can have. Frontmatter Foreword (page vii) Prefactory Statements and Acknowledgments (page xiii) POLITICAL INTRODUCTION (page 3) FIRST ESSAY. Historical Criticism: Theory of Modes Fictional Modes: Introduction (page 33) Tragic Fictional Modes (page 35) Comic Fictional Modes (page 43) Thematic Modes (page 52) SECOND ESSAY. Ethical Criticism: Theory of Symbols Introduction (page 71) Literal and Descritive Phases: Symbol as Motif and as SIgn (page 73) Formal Phase: Symbol as Image (page 82) Mythical Phase: Symbol as Archetype (page 95) Anagogic Phase: Symbol as Monad (page 115) THIRD ESSAY. Archetypal Criticism: Theory of Myths Introduction (page 131) Theory of Archetypal Meaning (1): Apocalyptic Imagery (page 141) Theory of Archetypal Meaning (2): Demonic Imagery (page 147) Theory of Archetypal Meaning (3): Analogical Imagery (page 151) Theory of Methos: Introduction (page 158) The Mythos og Spring: Comedy (page 163) The Mythos of Summer: Romance (page 186) The Mythos of Autumn: Tragedy (page 206) The Mythos of Winter: irony and Satire (page 223) FOURTH ESSAY. Rhetorical Criticism: Theory of Genres Introduction (page 243) The Rhythm of Recurrence: Epos (page 251) The Rhythm of Continuity: Prose (page 263) The Rhythm of Decorum: Drama (page 268) The Rhythm of Association: Lyric (page 270) Specific Forms of Drama (page 282) Specific Thematic Forms (Lyric and Epos) (page 293) Specific Continuous Forms (Prose Fiction) (page 303) Specific Encyclopaedic Forms (page 315) The Rhetoric of Non-Literary Prose (page 326) TENTATIVE CONCLUSION (page 341) NOTES (page 357) GLOSSARY (page 365) INDEX (page 369)

Striking out at the conception of criticism as restricted to mere opinion or ritual gesture, Northrop Frye wrote this magisterial work proceeding on the assumption that criticism is a structure of thought and knowledge in its own right. In four brilliant essays on historical, ethical, archetypical, and rhetorical criticism, employing examples of world literature from ancient times to the present, Frye reconceived literary criticism as a total history rather than a linear progression through time.

Literature, Frye wrote, is "the place where our imaginations find the ideal that they try to pass on to belief and action, where they find the vision which is the source of both the dignity and the joy of life." And the critical study of literature provides a basic way "to produce, out of the society we have to live in, a vision of the society we want to live in."

Harold Bloom contributes a fascinating and highly personal preface that examines Frye's mode of criticism and thought (as opposed to Frye's criticism itself) as being indispensable in the modern literary world.

"Striking out at the conception of criticism as restricted to mere opinion or ritual gesture, Northrop Frye wrote this magisterial work proceeding on the assumption that criticism is a structure of thought and knowledge in its own right. In four essays on historical, ethical, archetypical, and rhetorical criticism, employing examples of world literature from ancient times to the present, Frye reconceived literary criticism as a total history rather than a linear progression through time.". "Literature, Frye wrote, is "the place where our imaginations find the ideal that they try to pass on to belief and action, where they find the vision which is the source of both the dignity and the joy of life." And the critical study of literature provides a basic way "to produce, out of the society we have to live in, a vision of the society we want to live in.""--BOOK JACKET. Striking out at the conception of criticism as restricted to mere opinion or ritual gesture, Northrop Frye wrote this magisterial work proceeding on the assumption that criticism is a structure of thought and knowledge in its own right. Employing examples of world literature from ancient times to the present, he provides a conceptual framework for the examination of literature. In four brilliant essays on historical, ethical, archetypical, and rhetorical criticism, he applies "scientific" method in an effort to change the character of criticism from the casual to the causal, from the random and intuitive to the systematic. Harold Bloom contributes a fascinating and highly personal preface that examines Frye's mode of criticism and thought (as opposed to Frye's criticism itself) as being indispensable in the modern literary world. "Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism is the magnum opus of one of the most important and influential literary theorists of the twentieth century. Breaking with the practice of close reading of individual texts, Frye seeks to describe a common basis for understanding the full range of literary forms by examining archetypes, genres, poetic language, and the relations among the text, the reader, and society. Using a dazzling array of examples, he argues that understanding "the structure of literature as a total form" also allows us to see the profoundly liberating effect literature can have."-- Amazon website Assumes that criticism is a structure of thought and knowledge in its own right. In four essays on historical, ethical, archetypical, and rhetorical criticism, employing examples of world literature from ancient times, this work reconceives literary criticism as a total history rather than a linear progression through time. ""Brilliant. ... Frye has wit, style, audacity, immense learning, [and] a gift for opening up new and unexpected perspectives in the study of literature."--The Nation"-- Provided by publisher The description for this book, Anatomy of Criticism, will be forthcoming