Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays

by Northrop Frye, David Damrosch (Editor)

Overview

"Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism is the magnum opus of one of the most important and influential literary theorists of the twentieth century. Breaking with the practice of close reading of individual texts, Frye seeks to describe a common basis for understanding the full range of literary forms by examining archetypes, genres, poetic language, and the relations among the text, the reader, and society"--Publisher marketing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691202563
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Series:	Princeton Classics , #69
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	408
Sales rank:	421,453
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Northrop Frye (1912–1991) was University Professor at the University of Toronto, where he was also professor of English at Victoria College. His books include Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake (Princeton). David Damrosch is the Ernest Bernbaum Professor and Chair of Comparative Literature and director of the Institute for World Literature at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Foreword David Damrosch ix

Prefatory Statements and Acknowledgments xix

Polemical Introduction 3

First Essay. Historical Criticism: Theory of Modes

Fictional Modes: Introduction 33

Tragic Fictional Modes 35

Comic Fictional Modes 43

Thematic Modes 52

Second Essay. Ethical Criticism: Theory of Symbols

Introduction 71

Literal and Descriptive Phases: Symbol as Motif and as Sign 73

Formal Phase: Symbol as Image 82

Mythical Phase: Symbol as Archetype 95

Anagogic Phase: Symbol as Monad 115

Third Essay. Archetypal Criticism: Theory of Myths

Introduction 131

Theory of Archetypal Meaning (1): Apocalyptic Imagery 141

Theory of Archetypal Meaning (2): Demonic Imagery 147

Theory of Archetypal Meaning (3): Analogical Imagery 151

Theory of Mythos: Introduction 158

The Mythos of Spring: Comedy 163

The Mythos of Summer: Romance 186

The Mythos of Autumn: Tragedy 206

The Mythos of Winter: Irony and Satire 223

Fourth Essay. Rhetorical Criticism: Theory of Genres

Introduction 243

The Rhythm of Recurrence: Epos 251

The Rhythm of Continuity: Prose 263

The Rhythm of Decorum: Drama 268

The Rhythm of Association: Lyric 270

Specific Forms of Drama 282

Specific Thematic Forms (Lyric and Epos) 293

Specific Continuous Forms (Prose Fiction) 303

Specific Encyclopaedic Forms 315

The Rhetoric of Non-Literary Prose 326

Tentative Conclusion 341

Notes 357

Glossary 365

Index 369

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Brilliant. . . . Frye has wit, style, audacity, immense learning, [and] a gift for opening up new and unexpected perspectives in the study of literature."—The Nation

"Does literary criticism need a conceptual universe of its own? Professor Frye has written a brilliantly suggestive and encyclopedically erudite book to prove that it does; and he has done his impressive best to provide a framework for this universe. His book is a signal achievement."—Hudson Review

"Simply overpowering in the originality of its main concepts, and dazzling in the brilliance of its applications of them. Here is a book fundamental enough to be entitled Principia Critica."—Commonweal

"The book is continuously informed by original and incisive thought, by fine perception, and by striking observations upon literature in general and upon particular works."—Modern Language Review

Editorial Reviews

Simply overpowering in the originality of its main concepts and dazzling in the brilliance of its applications of them. Here is a book fundamental enough to be entitled Principia Critica.

Commonweal

This is a brilliant but bristling book, an important though thoroughly controversial attempt to establish order in a disorderly field....Frye has wit, style, audacity, immense learning, a gift for opening up new and unexpected perspectives in the study of literature....It would be hopeless to attempt a brief summary of Mr. Frye's dazzlingly counterpointed classifications.

Nation

Does literary criticism need a conceptual universe of its own? Professor Frye has written a brilliantly suggestive and encyclopedically erudite book to prove that it does, and he has done his impressive best to provide a framework for this universe. His book is a signal achievement; it is tight, hard, paradoxical, and genuinely witty...[Professor Frye] is the most exciting critic around; I do not think he is capable of writing a page which does not offer some sort of intellectual reward.

Hudson Review

An attempt to give "a synoptic view of the scope, theory, principles, and techniques of literary criticism"...the book is continuously informed by original and incisive thought, by fine perception, and by striking observations upon literature in general and upon particular works.

Modern Language Review

"This is a brilliant but bristling book, an important though thoroughly controversial attempt to establish order in a disorderly field.... Mr. Frye has wit, style, audacity, immense learning, a gift for opening up new and unexpected perspectives in the study of literature.... It would be hopeless to attempt a brief summary of Mr. Frye's dazzlingly counterpointed classifications."

The Nation

"This is a brilliant but bristling book, an important though thoroughly controversial attempt to establish order in a disorderly field.... Mr. Frye has wit, style, audacity, immense learning, a gift for opening up new and unexpected perspectives in the study of literature.... It would be hopeless to attempt a brief summary of Mr. Frye's dazzlingly counterpointed classifications."—The Nation

From the Publisher