Practical Criticism

Practical Criticism is a seminal work by I.A. Richards, published in 1929, that revolutionized the way poetry was read and analyzed. Richards developed his critical method through experimental pedagogy, where students would read poems without titles or author names. Their responses were then used to hone their "close reading" skills.1

This approach aimed to increase readers' analytical abilities, forming the basis of what became known as practical criticism. Richards believed that poetry functions therapeutically by integrating various human impulses into a cohesive whole, thereby promoting psychological well-being for both writer and reader. His work significantly influenced the New Criticism movement and some forms of reader-response criticism.1