The purpose of I. A. Richards's 'practical criticism' was to:
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Correct answer: B. usher in an objective approach to the study of texts
Explanation
The passage says Richards and his colleagues saw the method as scientific and objective.
Note: Passage II, a modern prose passage on practical criticism, is copyrighted and not reproduced. It explains that close reading, still common in schools, comes from I. A. Richards's 1920s experiments. His method judged a poem by its words and technique, apart from author and context, and looked for coherence of image, theme and language, aiming to be objective and 'scientific'. It shaped the American New Critics (Ransom, Brooks) and implied a hierarchy of texts of 'universal' value, the canon.
More Reading Comprehension questions
- In the context of the passage, what does 'literary canon' imply?
- What kind of value judgement did practical criticism promote?
- In the context of the passage, close reading implies:
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