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Name:-Nirali
dungrani
SEM:-02
Roll no:-24
Year:-2017-2019
Enrollment
no:-2069108420180012
Paper:-7(literary
theory and criticism)
Assignment
topic:-I.A.Richard’s figurative language.
Email id:-dungraninirali@gmail.com
Submitted:-S.B.Gardi
Department of English
Introduction:-
I.A. Richards (1893–1979)
British poet and
scholar Ivor Armstrong Richards was born in Cheshire and educated at Cambridge
University’s Magdalene College. His scholarship and research on how students
read poetry helped shape the foundation of the New Criticism and its emphasis
on close reading. With C.K. Ogden, Richards created the teaching tool Basic
English, a simplified version of the English language that, in the interests of
clear expression, limited both the number of words and the rules of their
usage.
Richards taught at
Cambridge University and Harvard University. He died in 1979, on his return
home to Cambridge from a teaching trip to China.
I.A. Richards is a pioneer figure as far as New
Criticism is considered. His work are.
1 The Meaning of Meaning- 1923
2 The Practical of Criticism – 1929
3 The Principles of Literary criticism-1924
To
him, language of poetry is purely emotive, in its original primitive state.
This language affects feelings. Hence we must avid intuitive and over – literal
reading of poems. Words in poetry have an emotive value, and the figurative
language used by poets conveys those emotions effectively and forcefully. His
approach towards criticism is pragmatic and empirical.
I.A. Richards by his own work could make literary Criticism factual,
Scientific and complete. It no longer remains a matter of the application of
set ruler or mere ‘intuition’ or impressions analysis, intertpretation and
evatution have exercised considerable influence on the New Critics everywhere.
Mining of figurative language:-
Figurative language
is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different
from the literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he or she
is simply stating the facts as they are. Figurative language, in comparison,
uses exaggerations or alterations to make a particular linguistic point.
Figurative language
is very common in poetry, but is also used in prose and nonfiction writing.
There are many
different types of figurative language, covering the use of a specific type of
word or word meaning:
Ø Metaphor:
A metaphor is a comparison made between things which are essentially not alike.
One example of a metaphor would be to say, “Nobody invites Edward to parties
because he is a wet blanket.”
Ø Simile:
A simile is a direct comparison and often uses the words like or as. One
example of a simile would be to say, “Jamie runs as fast as the wind.”
Ø Personification:
When something that is not human is given human-like qualities, this is known
as personification. An example of personification would be to say, “The leaves
danced in the wind on the cold October afternoon.”
Ø Hyperbole:
Exaggerating, often in a humorous way, to make a point is known as hyperbole.
One example of hyperbole would be to say, “My eyes widened at the sight of the
mile-high sundaes we were having for dessert.”
Ø Symbolism:
Symbolism occurs when something that has meaning in itself is used to represent
something entirely different. One example of symbolism would be to use an image
of the American flag to represent patriotism.
I.A.Richard’s Figurative language:-
I.A.Richards gave a
lot of important “to words”.
According to him
words carry four kinds of mining’s.
Ø Sense:
By sense it meant something that is communicated by the plain literal meanings
of the words.
Ø Feeling:
Refers to emotions, emotional attitudes, desire, will, pleasure, UN pleasure
and the rest. Words express feelings.
Ø Tone:
Tone here means the writer’s attitude towards his audience. The writer chooses
his words and arranges them keeping in mind the taste of his readers. Feeling
is only state of mind.
Ø Intention:
Intention is author’s conscious or unconscious aim. It is the effect that one
tries to produce. Also intention controls the emphasis, shapes the arrangement
or draws attention to something of importance. Richards says that
According to him
words in poetry have an imtive value.and the figurative language used by poets
convey those emotions effectively and forcefully his appeoch towards critisicm
is pragmatic and empilical.by his own work he could make literary criticism
scientific, and complit.
His factual and
scientific method of critical analysis, inerpritations, and evoluation has
considerable influence on the new critics everywere.
Source of Misunderstanding in Poetry:
According to I.A.Richards there are four sources of
misunderstanding of poetry. It is difficult to diagnose with accuracy and
definiteness, the source of some particular mistake or misunderstanding. First,
there might be a misunderstanding of the sense of poetry. It arises from
inattention, or sheer, cardessness. I.A.Richards warns readers- In most poetry
the sense is as important as anything
else; it is quite as a subtle, and as dependent on the syntax, as in
prose, it is the poet’s chief instrument to other aims when it is not itself
his aim. His control of thoughts is ordinarily his chief means to the control
of our feelings, and in the immense majority of instances we miss nearly
everything of value if we misread his sense.
An over literal-reading is as great a source of
misunderstanding in poetry as careless, ‘intuitive’ reading. Careless,
intuitive reading and prosaic “over-literal” reading are the simple-grades, the
justing rocks. Defective scholarship is a third source of misunderstanding in
poetry. The reader may fail to understand the sense of the poet, because he is
ignorant of poet’s sense. A far more serious cause of misunderstanding is the
failure to realize that the poetic use of words is different from their use in
prose. Complaints may rest upon an assumption about language that can be fatal
to poetry. Literary is one serious obstacle in the way of a right understanding
of the poetic words. According to Richards-‘poetry is different from prose and
needs a different attitude for right understanding.’
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
A Simile is
a FIGURE OF THOUGHT:-
A simile is a figure of thought in which one kind of thing is
compared to a markedly different object, concept, or experience; the comparison
is made explicit by the word “like” or “as”; “jen’s room is like a pig sty.”
The simile can be carried further and specify some feature of the comparison:
“jen’s room is as dirty as a sty.” In either case, the effect is that the
subject and the analogy are pictured in quick sequence, side by side.
Similes occur in both poetry and prose, and they may be short
and simple or long and extended. They provide an important indication of an
author or speaker’s TONE; that is implied attitude towards the subject. As with
a METAPHORE, the means is to use a comparison that reflects some key quality of
the literal subject. For, use a comparison that reflects some key quality of
the literal subject. For example, the tone of simile may be exalted, as in
Robert Burns’ lyrical tribute: “O, May luve’s like a red, red rose.” Here, the
image evoked is of a fresh, vibrant, and lovely object of adoration.
The Value of Figurative Language:
The use of figurative language can create problems. It is
difficult to turn poetry into logical respectable prose. Only through accuracy
and precision is combined with recognition of the liberties which are proper
for a poet, and the power and value of figurative language.
The use of figurative language can create problems. It is
difficult to turn poetry into logical respectable prose. Only through accuracy
and precision is combined with a recognition of the liberties is combined with
a recognition of the liberties which are proper for a poet, and precision is
combined with a recognition of the
liberties which are a recognition of the liberties which are proper for a poet,
and the power and value of figurative language.
Conclusion:
In very simple words and language we can describe figurative language as close
study of words and only text without any background, history, writer, but just
as an individual text and interpret in our own understanding. It can lead a reader
to misunderstanding too but then even it can never be wrong because not a
single thing, single interpretation in poetry can be wrong because every poetry
has numbers of interpretations because a work of art has numbers of
interpretations. Interpretations are based on mind, mentality, background,
brought up, and society of reader. It may be leads reader to misreading of
poetry but then even can be originality of literary work without any
prejudices. It is not justly based on assumptions but it s based on words,
emotions, intention and scientific methods.
I.A.Richards says:-
“The chemist must not require that the poet
writes like a chemist, not the moralist, not the man of affairs, nor the
logician, nor the professor, that he writes as they would. The whole trouble of
literalism is that the readers forget that the aim of the poems comes first and
is the sole justification of its means. We may quarrel, frequently we must,
with aim of the poem, but we have first to ascertain what it is. We cannot legitimately
judge its means by external standards which may have no relevance to its
success in doing what it set out to do.”
