Formalism: An Essay
Formalism is a school of literary theory and criticism that emphasizes the formal elements of
a text—such as structure, language, style, imagery, tone, and narrative technique—over
historical, social, political, or authorial contexts. At its core, formalism holds that the
meaning and value of a literary work lie in its form, not in external factors.
Origins and Development
Formalism first emerged in early 20th-century Russia through the work of scholars like
Viktor Shklovsky, Roman Jakobson, and the Russian Formalists. Their aim was to establish
literary studies as a science, focusing on the literariness of texts—what makes literature
distinct from other forms of writing. Around the same time, New Criticism developed in the
Anglo-American context, with critics such as Cleanth Brooks, John Crowe Ransom, and T.S.
Eliot advocating similar ideas. Both movements sought to read the text as a self-contained
entity, emphasizing close reading and textual analysis.
Key Concepts in Formalism
1. Defamiliarization (Ostranenie): Introduced by Shklovsky, this refers to the technique
of making the familiar strange, forcing readers to see common things in new, poetic
ways. Literature, through its unique use of language and structure, defamiliarizes the
world.
2. Literariness: The quality that distinguishes a literary work from other types of
discourse. Formalists believed this came from how language was used rather than
what was said.
3. Autonomy of the Text: Formalists argue that the meaning of a work is contained
within the text itself. The author’s biography, historical background, and reader’s
response are irrelevant to analysis.
4. Close Reading: A meticulous, line-by-line analysis of the text’s language, structure,
and devices. Attention is paid to rhyme, meter, syntax, imagery, motifs, and symbols.
5. Organic Unity (in New Criticism): The idea that all parts of a literary work are
interconnected and contribute to its unified meaning. Tensions and paradoxes within
the text are seen as contributing to this unity.
Applications and Legacy
Formalism profoundly influenced the way literature is taught and analyzed. In classrooms, it
legitimized the practice of close reading and helped establish literary criticism as a rigorous
discipline. Its emphasis on the text itself helped resist overly subjective or impressionistic
readings.
However, formalism was later critiqued for ignoring context, ideology, and the politics of
representation. Marxist, feminist, psychoanalytic, postcolonial, and post-structuralist critics
challenged its apolitical stance and narrow focus. Still, many of its techniques—especially
close reading—remain foundational in literary studies.
Conclusion
Formalism revolutionized literary criticism by shifting focus inward to the workings of the
text itself. It taught readers to appreciate the craft of literature—the way words are
arranged, images shaped, and meanings layered. Though later theories expanded the field’s
concerns, formalism’s legacy endures as a rigorous and aesthetic mode of engaging with
texts.
