This blog is written in response to the thinking activity given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir on the I A Richards’s Practical Criticism and Figurative language at the Department of English, MKBU.
I.A. Richards
Ivor Armstrong Richards CH, known as I. A. Richards was an English educator, literary critic, poet, and rhetorician. He was born on 26 February 1893 in Sandbach, United Kingdom. He is best known for his ‘Practical Criticism’ and ‘The Principle of Literary Criticism’.
He is considered along with T S Eliot the founder of the New criticism. He deferred from other new critics as he just not limit himself rigorously to the poem under consideration but also takes into account its effects on the readers. For him the real value of a poem lies in the reactions and attitudes it creates, and whether or not it is conducive to greater emotional balance, equilibrium, peace and rest in the mind of the readers. For him, the value of a work of art lies in its power to harmonize and organize complex and warring human impulses into patterns that are lasting and pleasurable.
I A Richards introduced four kinds of Meanings in poetry.
1. Sense is what is said, or the ‘items’ referred to by a writer.
2. Feeling refers to emotions, emotional attitudes, will, desire, pleasure, displeasure and the rest. When we say something we have a feeling about it, “an attitude towards it, some special direction, bias or accentuation of interest towards it, some personal flavor or colouring of feeling”. Words express “these feelings, these nuances of interest”.
3. Tone is the writer’s attitude to his readers or audience. The use of language is determined by the writer’s ‘recognition’ of his relation to his readers.
4. Intention is the writer’s aim, which may be conscious or unconscious. It refers to the effect that he tries to produce. This purpose modifies the expression. It controls the emphasis, shapes the arrangement, or draws attention to something of importance.
In his “Principles of Literary Criticism” chapter 34, he discusses the theory of language and the two uses of language. According to I. A. Richards language can be used in two ways,
the scientific use and the emotive one.
Richards introduced Four types of misunderstanding while reading poetry.
- Misunderstanding of the sense of poetry: Careless, intuitive reading. Like just considering rhyme or irregular syntax.
- Over-literal reading – prosaic reading
- Defective scholarship- inappropriate metaphor
- Difference in meaning of words in poetry and prose- don't understand the use of Personification, Metaphor etc.
With the help of I A Richards's arguments on poetry criticism lets analyze a poem.
Nizar Qabbani's poem ‘Jerusalem! My Love, My Town’
Oh Jerusalem, the city of sorrow
A big tear wandering in the eye
Who will halt the aggression
On you, the pearl of religions?
Who will wash your bloody walls?
Who will safeguard the Bible?
Who will rescue the Quran?
Who will save Christ, From those who have killed Christ?
Who will save man?
- Above given lines are from Nizar Qabbani’s poem “Jerusalem! My Love, My Town’, that is a long poem containing nearly 40 lines.
- The Poet has used enjambment in the third and fourth lines and also used Anaphora in the rest of the lines.
- He has used Apostrophe as if he is talking to someone.
- The poem is in written in dramatic tone.
There are some point that does not make much sense, like
1. tears don't wander in your eyes, people wander but tears just drop from eyes.
2. Jerusalem is the hub of religious value but rather the poet talks about violence and bloodshed as if humanity is completely lost.
3. The poet seems to take the side of a certain religion and talk about half of the situation. He does not reveal why the violence is occurred.
4. The poet have lost faith in humanity and seek salvation from Devine.
5. The reference to Christ makes the poet's vision narrow as he is only concerned to Christianity.
But if we just let those point go any try to understand poets intentions in good way we can see that,
1. Jerusalem is connected to many religions and it seems to refer to all the faiths and can be considered as the symbol of the situation in the whole world.
2. The poet seems to be concerned for all the people and seek help for the whole of humanity.
3. The reference to the Bible and the Quran seems like he is not centered around Christianity but is concerned for all.
4. The increasing anxiety of religion and the partition of people seems to be the main concern of the poem and the poet.
5. The last line happens to be the central concern as the poet says, ‘Who will save man?’
the above is just my own interpretation to understand the Nizar Qabbani's poem, ‘Jerusalem! My Love, My Town’
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