A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. The different lenses also allow critics to focus on particular aspects of a work they consider important. While literary criticism since the late 19th century has often made use of different "theories" drawn from the social and natural sciences, philosophy, and other scholarly fields, strictly defined "schools" of literary theory began to appear throughout European and North American intellectual circles, colleges, and universities in the middle part of the 20th century. This brief, practical introductory book explores core literary theories in a unique chronological format and includes an anthology of relevant fiction, poetry, and nonfiction to help bring those theories to life for students. Remarkably readable and engaging, the text makes even complex concepts manageable for those beginning to think about literary theory, and example analyses for each type of criticism show how real students have applied the theories to works included in the anthology.
