A very short introduction to New Criticism

The New Criticism movement surged in the US during the mid 20th century. It's primary focus: the unity and integration of literary works. We can sum the purpose of new criticism up like this: the treatment of literature as an aesthetic object- void of all historical, political, social implications. That said, the focus of the new critics is on the interactions of verbal features, such as ambiguity, paradox, irony, connotation and imagery. Techniques used include "close reading". The "intentional fallacy" demands a reading of the text without any attention given to the personal biography of the author. Some well-known new critics include Cleanth Brooks, John Crowe Ransom, William K Wimsatt and Robert Penn Warren.