I. A. Richards, whose full name is Ivor Armstrong Richards, was a prominent English educator, literary critic, poet, and rhetorician. He was born on February 26, 1893, in Sandbach, England, and died on: September 7, 1979, at 86 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Attended Magdalene College and the University of Cambridge. I. A. Richards is known for his work on practical criticism (coined by him), which involves analyzing poetry and literature based on the text itself. His work on literary theory became a significant milestone in developing New Criticism. This movement emphasized close reading and the analysis of texts without considering external factors such as authorial intent or historical context. His experimental pedagogical approach led to the idea of critical reading without contexts that influenced and inspired the proponents of New Criticism.
I. A. Richards is known for four of his groundbreaking books.
1) Meaning of Meaning ( C. K Ogden & IA Richards)
The Meaning of Meaning is a significant work co-authored by I. A. Richards and C. K. Ogden, first published in 1923. This book explores the intricate relationship between language, thought, and symbolism. The authors aimed to investigate how language influences thought and the nature of meaning itself. They sought to understand the psychological aspects of language and how words convey meaning. The book delves into semantics (Semantic Theory), the study of meaning in language, and how it relates to human understanding. Richards and Ogden also discussed the role of symbols (Symbolism) in communication and how they can represent complex ideas and emotions. I. A. Richards and Ogden drew insights from contemporary psychological research (stressing on influence of Psychology) to address linguistic problems, particularly the meaning of words and phrases. I. A. Richards continued to explore more about the meaning of words and gave his idea of four kinds of meaning in his book Practical Criticism.
2) The Principles of Literary Criticism
The Principles of Literary Criticism is a foundational work by I. A. Richards, first published in 1924. This book is significant in the field of literary criticism and has influenced various aspects of literary theory and analysis. In this book, Richards argues that literary criticism is fundamentally a branch of psychology. He explores how literature affects the minds and emotions of readers, emphasizing the psychological states induced by artistic experiences. He develops the idea and distinction between scientific language and emotive language, highlighting how literature communicates feelings and experiences differently than scientific discourse. In the book, Richards emphasizes that understanding literature requires an active engagement from the reader, who interprets and derives meaning from the text. The book includes a detailed examination of how rhythm and meter in poetry influence the reader's emotional response, thus, highlighting the technical aspects of the text. He emphasized that effective critical work required a closer aesthetic interpretation of the literary text as an object. To enhance Interpretive Criticism, he provided theories of metaphor, value, and tone, of stock response, incipient action, and pseudo-statement; and of ambiguity. His books The Principles of Literary Criticism, and Practical Criticism, along with William Empson’s Seven Types of Ambiguity became the founding texts for the development of the methodology of the New Criticism.
3) Practical Criticism (A Study of Literary Judgment)
Practical Criticism is a significant work by I. A. Richards, first published in 1929. The subtitle of the book is A Study of Literary Judgment. This book is pivotal in the field of literary criticism and introduces a method that emphasizes the close reading of texts. In the book, Richards argues that poetry and literature should be analyzed based on the text itself, rather than the author's intentions or historical context. He believes that the reader's experience and interpretation are central to understanding a work. The book presents a systematic approach to literary analysis, where Richards conducted experiments with students. He provided them with poems without any context or information about the authors, encouraging them to focus solely on the text and their personal responses. When the students submitted their work, he was astonished by the Poor Quality of the students’ Stock Responses. Stock responses are habitual or automatic responses that are based on the reader’s beliefs or feelings, rather than the work itself. Suppose a student is reading a work of Charles Dickens, even without going through the text of the book, the student will emphasize that the book deals with the poor economic condition of middle-class people, as it is the most common theme in most of his works. This is a stock response based on the idea or belief of the reader about Charles Dickens.
In Practical Criticism, Richards presents the idea of four types of meaning in literature, namely, Referential Meaning (Sense); the literal meaning of the words, Emotive Meaning (Feelings); the feelings and emotions evoked by the text, Value Meaning (Tone); the significance or worth of the text in a broader context, and Symbolic Meaning (Intention); the deeper, often abstract meanings that can be derived from the text.
4) The Philosophy of Rhetoric
The Philosophy of Rhetoric is a significant work by I. A. Richards, first published in 1936. In this book, Richards explores the nature and function of rhetoric, redefining it in a way that emphasizes its role in communication and understanding. Richards defines rhetoric as the study of misunderstanding and its remedies. He argues that much of human communication is fraught with misunderstandings, and rhetoric can help clarify and resolve these issues. The work is not just theoretical; it also offers practical insights into how rhetoric can be applied in everyday communication, education, and even the arts.
Concepts Given by I. A. Richards
Four Kinds of Meaning by I. A. Richards
Richards proposed four kinds of meaning in his 1929 book Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment. He believed that the total meaning of a word is a combination of the given four factors – Sense, Feeling, Tone, and Intention.
He says that the first thing that comes into our mind whenever we are analyzing or reading a particular work is what it means, or what is the meaning of the text presented to us. He says whether we speak, write, listen, or read, the total meaning of a word is a blend of four kinds of meaning, which are Sense, Feeling, Tone, and Intention. 'Sense' is what we speak to convey to our listeners, it is the Referential meaning. 'Feeling' is the attitude towards what we convey to our listeners, it offers the ‘Emotive meaning’ of the word or text. It offers our biases or preferences towards the referential text. For example, a female may talk emotively about feminism and this preference will be expressed in the way she uses language. The speaker also has an attitude towards the listener which is Tone. We all choose or arrange our words according to the audience listening. The way we talk about a subject with our parents is different from the way we talk about the same subject with our friends. Tone offers the Value meaning of the words or text. The fourth kind of meaning of the text is the ‘Intention’ of the speaker which can be conscious or unconscious. The speaker speaks for a purpose that modifies his entire speech. It offers the Symbolic meaning. For example, Politicians always have an agenda to push forward which they do through their speeches. Intention or the Symbolic meaning offers a deeper meaning of the text.
In any speech or text, these four kinds of meaning play different roles. In a scientific report or text, we may find Sense as a dominant factor, while in a speech of a politician, Intention may prove to be the dominant factor offering the total meaning.
He also discussed the differences between scientific and emotive uses of language.
Two Uses of Language (The Principles of Literary Criticism)
I. A. Richards believed that language has two main uses:
Scientific or Referential
Used to make statements that can be verified as true or false. This use of language requires undistorted references and an absence of fiction. Suppose someone states that the sun rises in the east, it is verifiable as true, but if someone says that the sun rises in the west, it is verifiable as false. In other words, scientific language is used in the real world. Suppose someone goes to market to buy vegetables and asks the rate of cauliflower, the vendor says that it is Rs20 per piece. It is scientific language, it is verifiable, it is either true or false.
Emotive or poetic
Used to make statements that evoke emotions and attitudes. Emotive language is often used in poetry and other literary works. Emotive language is used to produce certain emotional effects and certain attitudes in those to whom it is addressed. For example, the word "fire" has a scientific reference to a fact in the real world, but in poetry, the phrase "heart on fire" evokes the emotion of excitement.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the concepts of Literary theories and Criticism. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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