R.P. Blackmur | A Critic’s Job of Work | Summary, Analysis

 

R.P. Blackmur | A Critic’s Job of Work | Summary, Analysis

Hello and welcome to the Discourse. R.P. Blackmur was an American literary critic and poet particularly associated with the New Criticism movement. His full name is Richard Palmer Blackmur. He taught creative writing and English literature at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA.

In 1935, Blackmur published his first significant work titled The Double Agent: Essays in Craft and Elucidation. He analyzed works of various poets including E. E. Cummings, Ezra Pound, and Wallace Stevens. He emphasized the importance of understanding the craft behind literary works, advocating for a close reading of texts. In 1952, Blackmur published the collection of all his previously published essays and some new ones in the book Language as Gesture. It is a pivotal work that delves into the intricate relationship between language and poetry. In his essays, Blackmur advocates for a close reading of texts, encouraging readers to appreciate the nuances of language. He critiques simplistic interpretations of poetry, arguing for a more sophisticated understanding that considers the context and subtext of literary works.

One of the essays in Language as Gesture is A Critic’s Job of Work which is a fascinating exploration of the role and responsibilities of a critic in the literary world. Blackmur, as a New Critic, emphasizes that a text should be viewed as an autonomous whole, that is, the text is complete in itself. He argues against seeking meaning outside the text, advocating for a close reading that focuses on the words and structure within. He believes that criticism is a serious endeavor that requires thoroughness and dedication. A critic's job is not merely to summarize or interpret but to engage deeply with the work, illuminating its complexities without doing the reader's work for them. Throughout his essays, Blackmur is particularly concerned with the nuances of language. He believes that understanding the precise use of words is crucial to grasping the essence of a literary piece. The effectiveness of criticism, according to Blackmur, often lies in the technique employed in analyzing examples. He stresses the importance of how examples are handled to convey deeper meanings.

According to Blackmur, a critic’s job is to judge a writer’s work objectively independent of any attention of the author or reader. A critic should not think about what feelings the text would evoke in the reader or what was the author’s intention. A true critic objectively judges the text, he explores the internal properties of the text such as symbols, irony, paradoxes, and ambiguity, and finds out the meaning. Blackmur distinguishes an amateur critic, a person who is learning how to critique, and a professional critic. An amateur critic is not an expert. This kind of critic works not for money but for their interest to pass criticism. They are not giving constructive criticism. Such critics are independent of any kind of influence. Contrary to this, professional critics are experts and they work for certain institutions and are confined by the propagation of their school of thought. Blackmur suggests that an amateur critic is better than a professional critic. The new critics are fresh with ideas and they do not stick with the established norms. He supports amateur critics because they are independent of any kind of influence or biases. Whereas a professional critic is already an expert and has an established way of working, confined by his school of thought and feelings and they are going to critic in the same way. Professional critic attaches themselves to a particular doctrine and murders their insight. According to him, a critic must reduce his intense purpose. If the critical purpose is narrowed down during criticism, the result appears beautiful. When a critic tries to criticize a work on a purpose, that he is determined to show certain aspects of his own school of thought in the given text, then he won’t be able to unbiasedly analyze the text. However, if he decides to analyze the text with a free mind, giving up all his predetermined notions, he will be able to actually analyze the good and bad points of the text. If a critic analyzes a work with the intent to praise it, irrespective of its quality, he will deliberately ignore the weaker points and that is not constructive criticism. Blackmur says that an amateur critic uses his honest intuitive power to analyze a work while a professional critic uses his predetermined or set intensive purpose to analyze the same text.

“Like walking, criticism is a pretty nearly universal art; both require a constant intricate shifting and catching of balance; neither can be questioned much in process; and few perform either really well. For either a new terrain is fatiguing and awkward, and in our day most men prefer paved walks and some form of rapid transport, some easy theory or overmastering dogma.” (R.P.Blackmur, “A Critic’s Job of Work”)

Blackmur compares walking with criticism because he considers both the ‘arts’ of a similar kind that call for attention to detail and utmost care. He suggests that professional critics prefer tried and tested approaches for much the same reason as ‘walkers’ would look for paved walks and rapid transport. A professional critic would not try to do something unique while criticizing a work just like people who walk, they try to look for a paved path to ease their movement.

So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss literary theory and literary criticism. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.