Touchstone Method is a short quotation from a recognized poetic masterpiece ‘The Study of Poetry’ (1880), employed as a standard of instant comparison for judging the value of other works. Arnold puts Wordsworth in the front rank not for his poetry but for his “criticism of life”.
Who uses the so called touchstone method in criticism?
Matthew Arnold tries a lot to invent an ideal standard of ideal literary works in ” The Study of Poetry “. He invents a process by which the real worth or value of literary work can be judged. This process of judging a piece is called touchstone method.
What are the main concepts in Matthew Arnold’s the study of poetry?
Perhaps Arnold’s most famous piece of literary criticism is his essay “The Study of Poetry.” In this work, Arnold is fundamentally concerned with poetry’s “high destiny;” he believes that “mankind will discover that we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us” as science and …
What is the concept of touchstone?
As a metaphor, a touchstone refers to any physical or intellectual measure by which the validity or merit of a concept can be tested. It is similar in use to an acid test, litmus test in politics, or, from a negative perspective, a shibboleth where the criterion is considered by some to be out-of-date.
How does a touchstone work?
touchstone, black siliceous stone used to ascertain the purity of gold and silver. The streaks of metal left behind on the touchstone are then treated with nitric acid, which dissolves impurities, and thus, when the streaks are compared, the contrast between pure and impure metal is heightened. …
How does touchstone work?
What is literary criticism in the Bible?
Literary criticism endeavours to establish the literary genres (types or categories) of the various biblical documents and to reach conclusions about their structure, date, and authorship.
What does Arnold criticize in the essay the study of poetry?
In this essay Arnold criticizes the art of poetry as well as the art of criticism. Arnold believes that the art of poetry is capable of high destinies. It is the art in which the idea itself is the fact. Science, according to Arnold, is incomplete without poetry, and, religion and philosophy will give way to poetry.
What are according to Arnold the disadvantages of historical estimate?
The historic estimate is not a true judgement of a poet. It affects our judgement of the ancient poets or ancient works. Its historical importance may make us rate the work as higher than it really deserve. Arnold warns us against this fallacious historic estimate of an ancient poet or a literary work.
How the touchstone method can help in making proper Judgement?
According to this method, in order to judge a poet’s work properly, a critic should compare it to passages taken from works of great masters of poetry, and that these passages should be applied as touchstones to other poetry. Even a single line or selected quotation will serve the purpose.
