Literary Criticism

Correct Answer: 3. Unities of Place and Time

Detailed Explanation:

In his influential “Preface to Shakespeare” (1765), Samuel Johnson challenged the rigid application of Aristotelian unities—particularly the Unities of Time and Place—as unnecessary constraints on English drama.

While Aristotle had emphasized the Unity of Action (a single, coherent plot), later classical theorists (especially in French neoclassicism) added the Unity of Time (the play should take place within 24 hours) and Unity of Place (a single setting).

Johnson, however, argued that:

“It is always a pleasure to see a villain meet his end, whether in twenty-four hours or in twenty-four years.”

He praised Shakespeare for violating the Unities of Time and Place in favor of emotional truth, variety, and dramatic richness, suggesting that these unities should be regarded as optional devices—tools that may be used to enhance dramatic concentration, but are not essential to good drama.

Thus, since Johnson’s Preface, Unities of Time and Place have been viewed in English literary criticism as non-binding conventions, unlike Unity of Action, which remained more widely respected for maintaining narrative coherence.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Unities of Time and Action – Unity of Action was not dismissed; Johnson upheld it as important. Only Time and Place were criticized as unnecessarily restrictive.

2. Unities of Place and Action – Again, Unity of Action was not considered optional—Johnson saw it as essential for dramatic coherence.

4. Unity of Place only – Johnson critiqued both Time and Place, not just Place. He treated both as optional, not just one.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question ties directly to literary criticism and neoclassical dramatic theory, an essential component of UGC NET English preparation. Samuel Johnson’s defense of Shakespeare marked a shift from classical to modern critical thinking, promoting the freedom of artistic expression over rigid adherence to formal rules. Recognizing which Aristotelian unities were considered optional vs. essential after Johnson’s intervention is key for understanding 18th-century literary debates, especially in comparative questions about Shakespeare, Dryden, and neoclassical drama.

Correct Answer: 3. The Neo-Platonists

Detailed Explanation:

The Neo-Platonists, a group of philosophers active from the 3rd century CE onward, primarily associated with Plotinus, Porphyry, Proclus, and others, sought to reconcile philosophical differences among ancient thinkers, particularly between Plato and Aristotle. They also attempted to bridge the gap between philosophy and poetry, arguing that poetic works—especially those of Homer and Hesiod—contained hidden philosophical meanings.

Neo-Platonists believed that all forms of truth, beauty, and the soul’s ascent toward the divine could be unified under a single metaphysical system, drawing from both Platonism and Aristotelian logic. Their allegorical readings of poetry served to show that philosophy and poetry were not in conflict, but part of a shared spiritual vision.

They laid the groundwork for Renaissance Humanism and influenced medieval Christian and Islamic philosophy, where the reconciliation of faith, reason, and aesthetics became central.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Sir Philip Sidney – In An Apology for Poetry (1595), Sidney defended poetry against moral and philosophical criticism, but he did not attempt to reconcile Plato and Aristotle systematically. His focus was more on the moral and imaginative power of poetry.

2. Longinus – Author of On the Sublime, Longinus analyzed emotional and aesthetic effects in literature, particularly sublimity in rhetoric and poetry, but not philosophical reconciliation between classical thinkers.

4. John Dryden – While Dryden contributed significantly to neoclassical criticism and poetic theory, he was focused on genre, decorum, and imitation, not on resolving philosophical tensions between Plato and Aristotle.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question is foundational to understanding the philosophical underpinnings of classical and Renaissance literary theory, especially for UGC NET English. The Neo-Platonists' effort to harmonize poetry, philosophy, and metaphysics shows how ancient ideas about truth and beauty shaped the evolution of Western literary criticism. Their influence is evident in later figures like Dante, Sidney, and even Shelley, making them essential reading for those exploring the philosophical background of literature.

Correct Answer: 2. John Dryden

Detailed Explanation:

The quote:

“Shakespeare was the Homer, or father of our dramatic poets; Johnson was the Vergil, the pattern of elaborate writing”

is from John Dryden, often regarded as the father of English literary criticism in the modern sense. This statement appears in Dryden’s "Essay of Dramatic Poesy" (1668), where he compares great English dramatists to their classical counterparts to validate the richness of English drama.

Shakespeare is likened to Homer—spontaneous, natural, and creative, the originator of a tradition.

Ben Jonson (spelled “Johnson” in older texts) is compared to Virgil—meticulous, structured, and scholarly.

Dryden’s comparison reflects his admiration for both poets, placing Shakespeare as the inspired genius and Jonson as the disciplined craftsman.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. Matthew Arnold – Focused more on moral criticism and cultural evaluation, and though he wrote about Shakespeare, this quote is not attributed to him.

3. Samuel Johnson – Though he authored the influential Preface to Shakespeare, he did not make this specific classical comparison.

4. Ben Jonson – Jonson was Shakespeare’s contemporary and rival, but he did not refer to himself as “the Vergil”, nor did he coin this comparison.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question directly ties to early English literary criticism, a vital area in the UGC NET English syllabus. John Dryden’s comparisons in Essay of Dramatic Poesy show how neoclassical criticism sought to establish English literary greatness by aligning it with classical models. Understanding such analogies between Shakespeare and Homer or Jonson and Virgil helps students navigate the critical lineage of English drama, which is frequently referenced in both objective questions and analytical essays in the exam.

Correct Answer: 4. T. S. Eliot

Detailed Explanation:

T. S. Eliot, the Anglo-American poet and critic, described his literary criticism as a "by-product" of his private poetry-workshop and as “a prolongation of the thinking that went into the formation of my own verse.” This quote reflects Eliot’s belief that criticism and poetry are inseparable, and that his critical writings stemmed directly from the same intellectual and creative processes that shaped his poetry.

Eliot’s critical essays—such as Tradition and the Individual Talent (1919), Hamlet and His Problems, and The Metaphysical Poets—were not academic in nature but served as reflections of poetic practice, aimed at refining poetic taste and standards. His criticism played a key role in shaping modernist aesthetics, emphasizing impersonality, classicism, and intellectual rigor in poetry.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. S. T. Coleridge – Although Coleridge was both a poet and critic (e.g., Biographia Literaria), his criticism was more philosophical and theoretical, and he did not describe it as a “by-product” of poetic activity.

2. Matthew Arnold – Arnold regarded criticism as an independent cultural force (“a disinterested endeavour to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought”), not merely a personal extension of poetic practice.

3. Ezra Pound – Pound was a poet-critic like Eliot, but he focused more on economic and structural clarity in poetry (“Make it new”), and did not use this language to describe his criticism.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question emphasizes the interconnection between poetic practice and critical theory, a key feature in modernist literary criticism and a central concept in the UGC NET English syllabus. T. S. Eliot’s view of criticism as an organic extension of poetic creation challenges the traditional divide between poet and critic. For exam aspirants, recognizing Eliot’s dual legacy as a theorist and practitioner helps in tackling both theoretical essays and objective questions related to Modernism, literary form, and critical movements.

Correct Answer: 2. I. A. Richards

Detailed Explanation:

The statement:



“The two pillars upon which a theory of criticism must rest are an account of value and an account of communication”

was made by I. A. Richards, one of the most influential figures in 20th-century literary theory and a founding figure of practical criticism and New Criticism in its formative stages.

Richards emphasized that any valid literary criticism must be grounded in:

An account of value – i.e., why a work of literature matters, how it affects readers, and what makes it aesthetically or emotionally significant.

An account of communication – i.e., how meaning is conveyed from writer to reader through the structure and language of the text.





These concerns are central to Richards’s work in books like:

Principles of Literary Criticism (1924)

Practical Criticism (1929)





His emphasis on close reading, reader response, and emotive vs. referential language laid the foundation for later developments in New Criticism, reader-response theory, and structuralism.



❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

1. William Empson –

A student of Richards and author of Seven Types of Ambiguity, Empson advanced

Richards’s methods but did not make this foundational claim about value and communication.

3. Ezra Pound –

While a major modernist and critic, Pound focused on imagism, clarity, and poetic economy, not on constructing a systematic theory of criticism based on value and communication.

4. J. C. Ransom –

A key figure in New Criticism, Ransom emphasized the objectivity and structure of poems but did not formulate the theory in Richards’s philosophical terms.



📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)

This question highlights a foundational moment in the development of modern literary theory, directly relevant to the UGC NET English syllabus, especially within literary criticism, theory, and practical criticism. I. A. Richards’s focus on value and communication helped bridge aesthetic theory, psychology, and linguistic philosophy, making him essential reading for aspirants. Understanding Richards’s contributions allows for deeper insight into how literary meaning is constructed, received, and judged—an approach that continues to influence critical practice today.