OUTLINE OF LITERARY THEORY

Siswo Harsono

Literary sciences

•Literary theory•Literary history •Literary criticism

Literary sciences

L ite ra ry th eory L ite ra ry h is to ry L ite ra ry c rit ic ism

L ite ra ry sc ien ces

Basic concepts

•Literary work: creative•Literary study: scientific

Functions of literature

• Dulce et utile

• Prodesse et delectare

• Docere et movere

Scopes of literature

• Local literature

• National literature

• World literature

• Comparative literature

Etymology of theory

• Late Latin theoria, from Greek contemplation, theory, from theoros, spectator, from theasthai, to observe, from thea, a viewing (Grolier, 1986:1335)

Definition of theory

• (a) Systematically organized knowledge applicable in relatively wide variety of circumstance; especially, a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena. (b) Such knowledge or such a system distinguished from experiment or practice.

• Abstract reasoning; speculation• Broadly, hypothesis or supposition (Grolier,

1986:1335)

Definition of literary theory

• The practice of describing, interpreting, and evaluating literature (Morner and Rausch, 1998:121)

Function of literary theory

•Supporting literary criticism•Supporting literary history

Types of literary theory

• Intrinsic literary theory•Extrinsic literary theory

Types of intrinsic literary theory

•Formalism and new criticism•textual and structural criticism

Types of extrinsic literary theory

• Literature and biography• Literature and society• Literature and psyche• Literature and ideas• Literature and arts• Literature and religion

• Literature and culture

Abrams’ theoretical orientations

Orientations of literary theory

• Mimetic literary theory• Pragmatic literary theory• Expressive literary theory• Objective literary theory

Theory of literary disciplines

• Marxist criticism• Archetypal

criticism• Psychoanalysis• Existential criticism• Formalism• New criticism• Structuralism• Post-structuralism

• Reader response• Deconstruction• Feminist criticism• Post-colonial

criticism• New historicism • Hermeneutics• Semiotics• Stylistics

Objects of literary theory

Oral literature

Written literature

Electronic literature

Steps of studying literary theory

• Reading literary theory• Investigating the concepts• Investigating the paradigm• Applying the theory

Application of literary theory

• Analyzing literary work

• Analyzing literary writer

• Analyzing literary reader

• Analyzing literary history

Evaluation

•Mid: extrinsic theory•Final: intrinsic theory•Task: applied theory

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