The Author Doesn't Control Meaning Anymore #literature #newcriticism #ugcnetenglish #I.A.Richards

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Guys, I just time traveled to America in the 1940s. [music] They think people are reading literature completely wrong. And today, I'm about to find out why. Stop asking what the author meant. Wait, what? The text itself is enough. Okay, now I'm confused. Okay, explain this like I'm from the future. Most people study literature by focusing on the author's life or history. Yeah, that's what we usually do. But new critics believe the text should stand alone. So, how do new critics analyze literature?

[00:00:25]Through close reading. What's that?

[00:00:28]>> You study every word carefully.

[00:00:31]Repetition, imagery, symbols, contradictions, everything matters.

[00:00:33]>> So, instead of talking about the author's biography, we focus on the words inside the text?

[00:00:37]>> Yes. Wow, that's revolutionary. So, new criticism basically says, "Forget the author. Forget your emotions. Just focus on the text itself." [music] And honestly, that completely changed literary studies forever.