• Art and culture -> Literature and Poetry

• 0 Comment

What is the origin of literary theory and how has it evolved over time?

Vela Thirsk

Hey! I'd love to answer your question about the origin of literary theory and how it has evolved over time.

The roots of literary theory can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece. During this time, Plato believed that literature could instill negative values in readers and lead them astray from moral behavior. Aristotle, on the other hand, believed that literature actually had the power to teach individuals how to live ethically. This disagreement set the foundation for literary theory to come.

From there, literary theory began to emerge as a field of study in the 20th century. One of the most notable thinkers in this period was T.S. Eliot, who authored a work titled "Tradition and the Individual Talent" in which he suggested that literary works can only be understood in the context of the tradition that precedes them.

Another key figure in the evolution of literary theory was Ferdinand de Saussure. Saussure was a linguist who introduced the concept of "semiotics," or the study of signs and symbols. This idea was applied to literature with the emergence of structuralism, which suggested that texts could be understood by analyzing their underlying structure and systems of meaning.

In the 1960s and 70s, literary theory became even more diverse with the rise of post-structuralism. French theorists such as Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault challenged the notion that language could accurately reflect reality and instead focused on how language itself creates meaning and shapes our understanding of the world.

From there, literary theory continued to evolve and diversify with the emergence of feminist, Marxist, and postcolonial theories. Each of these perspectives approached literature through the lens of social and cultural context, examining how race, gender, and class intersect with literary works to produce meaning.

Today, literary theory is still a vibrant and evolving field of study. While its roots may lay in ancient Greece, the field has come a long way since then, constantly adapting to new ideas and approaches. Ultimately, the evolution of literary theory reflects our ever-shifting understanding of language, culture, and the world around us.