... can easily misinterpreted, because the meaning of the metaphors, symbols etc. can be misunderstood to have another meaning which is the exact argument Perrine is making that the meaning of a poem and other literary works is what limits its amount of interpretations. Throughout "The Nature of Proof in the Interpretation of Poetry" Laurence Perrine employs impressive juxtaposition and intriguing ... with the flowers. The wind stops, and then the garden is still." (3). This quote is talking about Perrine's experience with a group of students and how they interpreted Emily Dickinson's poem. P...

• Word Count: 3356
• Approx Pages: 13

... form as 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 presumed to be a unique and privileged ... source of meaning and value, sharply distinguished from other texts or other uses of language (particularly scientific language). Accordingly, the meaning of the poem is not conveyed by any prose paraphrase and is valued as the source of an experience (for the reader) available in no ot...

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

... perceives it as meaningful organized whole. This approach shows that the perceiver is active and not passive in the act of performance. Another important point is that e.g. when we take a poem for reading, it has no real existence until it is read, its meaning can only be discussed by its reader. We differ about interpretations because our ways of reading different ... ...

• Word Count: 3373
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

... if any event were removed the plot would be irreparably damaged; it must be complete and entire, and of reasonable size. We could say that the "matter" of a poem or dramatic play consists of the events and characters portrayed, while the "form" is equivalent to the structure, i.e. the plot. The plot is the " first principle and ... ...

• Word Count: 5585
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: Undergraduate