Contents:

Preface.

Cleanth brooks: biography.

1. New criticism: formulation of a strategy.

2. Source of poetry: experience.

3. Form of poetry: structure.

4. Form of poetry: coherence.

5. Purpose of poetry: knowledge.

6. Conclusion: ever a new critic.

Selected bibliography.

"This book is a small attempt to understand the works of a big critic. By a seasoned and unanimous opinion new criticism has been the most powerful and dominating movement in the twentieth century literary criticism. Without even a shade of doubt, cleanth brooks is the central figure of this movement. His towering personality has spanned almost the entire twentieth century. His works like Modern Poetry and the Tradition, The Well Wrought Urn and the twin volumes on William Faulkner are all time classics in the field of literary criticism. The gist of his critical theory is that the source of all poetry is experience; all poetry has a special structure; and the purpose of all poetry is knowledge. In fact, the book provides rare glimpses of insight into the critical thinking of cleanth along with the fleeting glances at the other new critics. It also removes so many cobwebs of misunderstanding that had gathered around the position of the cleanth brooks and the new criticism." (jacket)