... imperative" that engenders the work's (more mechanical) structure. No matter which connotation of form pertains, however, formalists seek to be objective in their analysis, focusing on the work itself and avoiding external considerations. They pay particular attention to literary devices used in the work and to the patterns these ... the only proper target of literary criticism. For most of the New Critics that job is practical criticism or "close reading," in which the poem or literary text is treated as a self-sufficient verbal artifact. By careful attention to language, the text is pr...

• Word Count: 3510
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate