With an alertness to the psychological and emotional effects of language, this work aims to present an understanding both of literature and of the role of the reader.

Ivor Armstrong Richards was one of the founders of modern literary criticism. He enthused a generation of writers and readers and was an influential supporter of the young T.S. Eliot. Principles of Literary Criticism was the text that first established his reputation and pioneered the movement that became known as the 'New Criticism'. Highly controversial when first published, Principles of Literary Criticism remains a work which no one with a serious interest in literature can afford to ignore.

No Treatment Of Modern Criticism Is Possible Without Discussing I.A. Richards, Since In The Most Literal Sense His Influence Combined With That Of T.S. Eliot And F.R. Leavis Served To Create It. As One Of Seminal Thinkers Paving The Way For The Development Of New Criticism, Richards Made A Systematic Attempt To Formulate A Theory Of Poetry In Consonance With The Demands Of Modern Scientific Thought.The Present Book Stems From The Need To Offer An Objective Appraisal Of Richards Thought System In The Context Of The Evolution Of His Ideas In Foundations Of Aesthetics, The Meaning Of Meaning, Principles Of Literary Criticism, Science And Poetry (Later Reissued As Poetries And Sciences) And Practical Criticism. In The Context Of Wide-Spread Misinterpretations And Distortions Of Richards Point Of View, The Author Has Tried Throughout This Inter-Disciplinary Work To Allow Richards To Speak For Himself. While Unfolding The Subtle, Suggestive And Consistent Nature Of Richards Early Writings, The Book Studies His Criticism Of Modern Poets Like T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, G.M. Hopkins, Thomas Hardy And D.H. Lawrence. The Chapter On Practical Criticism Throws Light On Richards Technique Of Evaluating Poems And Teaches The Art Of Appreciating Poetry.

This clear, succinct primer for literary theory provides students with a useful guide to contemporary theory and methodologies. Theoretical overviews summarize each literary approach for clarification and "Application Essays" by well-known scholars, on works by authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, Melville, Faulkner, and Angelou, represent the stated principles. The text helps students generate consistent, well-focused analyses based on any of ten critical methodologies, including New Criticism, Psychoanalytic Analysis, Deconstruction, Feminist Analysis, and New Historicism.