Practical Criticism
Introduction
Anthologists and editors prepare the way
for poetry readers, selecting works that reward close reading
and assisting interpretation through annotation. But on the
Internet we can return to poetry in its native state --
one set of words among many others competing for appreciation
-- and read with fresh eyes.
Learning Objectives
To analyze the verbal devices through
which poems make meaning; to compare one's personal interpretation
of a poem with the personal interpretations of others; to
develop standards of literary judgment.
1
During the early decades of this century, the British critic
I. A. Richards conducted a famous series of experiments in
reading that he reported in his book Practical Criticism.
Interested primarily in the ways poems affect a reader, he
regularly gave his students a selection of anonymous poems
and asked for a commentary on each. The exercise led him to
propose a step-by-step process for interpreting poetry, which
formed the basis for the discipline we now call "close reading."
Begin this lesson by explaining to your students that they
will recreate the Richards experiment, using the unfiltered
poetry available on the Internet as their raw material.
2 Have small groups of students browse
the Victorian
Women Writers Project website to select 2 to 4
poems for commentary. Ask students: What draws you to a poem?
As they browse, students should be aware of what factors affect
their choices. The title of a collection of poetry, the author's
name and dates, the size of the collection, all have a subjective
influence on the kind of poetry we read and enjoy. Have students
reflect on these influences as they browse the site and keep
a journal of their selection process. Once students have completed
their selections, but before they begin their commentaries
on each poem, compare notes as a class on the factors that
led them to their choices.
3 Have students comment on one or two
of the poems they have selected, following an adaptation of
the procedure outlined by I. A. Richards:
- First, they should write a paraphrase of the
poem, expressing in their own words its plain prose meaning.
- Second, they should comment on the imagery used
in the poem. Have them explain how the imagery enhances
the poem by adding emotional color or associations to the
plain sense. Have them note also whether the poet's
use of imagery is consistent.
- Third, have students describe the overall tone
or mood of the poem, the "feeling" that it communicates
to them as readers. A poem leaves an impression, and while
this impression may be complex (who could summarize the
"feeling" imparted by Coleridge's "Kubla
Khan"?), it will always be distinct for the alert reader.
- Finally, have students express an opinion about
the poem: is it good or bad poetry, and why? This may be
the most popular part of the exercise, since we generally
present students with poems that have been certified "good"
by generations of venerated readers and rarely give them
an opportunity to pass an unbiased judgment of their own.
4 When
they have completed their commentaries, have students discuss
in small groups what they learned from the experience. Which
stage in the process was most difficult? Which was most revealing?
How did the exercise make them more self-aware as readers
of poetry? How did it sharpen their understanding of how poems
work? Divide the class into small groups for comparison of
their individual commentaries. Have each group report on these
discussions. What are two or three qualities in each poem
that they liked? Have students make a list of qualities and
share them with the class.
Extending the Lesson To conclude the lesson, work as a class
to apply the Richards reading procedure to a frequently anthologized
poem, such as "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth
(available on the Romantic
Circles website). Through discussion, arrive at
a consensus paraphrase of the poem, a common interpretation
of its imagery, a shared sense of the "feeling" it imparts,
and a consensus judgment of its literary quality.
Standards Alignment
View your state’s standards
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