Of literary criticism and literature on criticisms -:

Some lessons from medieval England to Sri Lankan columnists

Following a month of hectic literary activities culminating in several award ceremonies, it is pertinent, I thought of focusing on literary criticism in general and the low culture of literature on criticism in particular.

The earliest attempts at practical criticism in English seemed to have been made by Ben Jonson when he wrote his famous thesis Timber or Discoveries, a series of observations on literature and writers. However, it was towards the end of the seventeenth century that John Dryden turned to practical criticism with zeal, zest and vitality. John Dryden is the first great practical critic in English literature.

It should be noted that his literary criticisms were facilitated by the sheer growth of literature of that age; it was an age where on the one hand the production of literature was taken completely for granted, and on the other hand, had a corpus of literature of different kinds to draw on comparisons between the merits of diverse styles and conventions.

It is suffice to say that Dryden's remarkable critical qualities such as wider range of views, his skill at comparison, sense of changing artistic conventions, willingness to hear new evidence and if required to change his own views and his concern with the practical questions of craftsmanship could not have emerged at an earlier period of English literature for the absence of established continuous but changing literary tradition.

Although Ben Jonson's Timber offers no systematic practical criticism, some of his fundamental observations on craftsmanship of writing seem to be of relevance even today. He wrote, "For a man to write well, there are required three Necessaries. To read the best Authors, observe the best Speakers: and much exercise his own style. In style to consider, what ought to be written: and after what manner: Hee must first thinke and excogitate his matter; then choose his words, and examine the weight of either. Then take care of placing, and ranking both matter and the words, that the composition be comely; and to does this with diligence and often. No matter how slow style be at first, so it be laboure'd and accurate; seek the best and be not glad of the forward conceipts or first words that offer themselves to us, but judge of what wee invent ; and order what wee approve.

Repeat often what wee formerly written; which besides it helps the consequence, and makes the juncture better, it quickens the heat of imagination, that often cooles in the time of setting downe, and gives it new strength......So did the best Writers in their beginning; they impos'd upon themselves care and industry. They did nothing rashly. They obtain'd first to write well, and then custom made it easie and a habit. ..."

What is interesting in Ben Johson's informal advice on how to become a good writer is that this piece of advice comes from a person who is more concerned about the practical question of what is good writing than about the definition and defence of literary values.

The point Jonson makes here is that the modern writers should recognise the importance of precedent and continuity of letter and of the importance of dependency of standards set up by great geniuses of the past. However, it shouldn't be mistaken that mere study of the great writer would make great literary productions. It seems that Jonson has dealt extensively the practical aspects of writing in Timber and his following observation on diction is of important to shed light on the importance of diction in writing and its appropriate usages:

"Custom is the certain Mistresses of Language, as the publicke stamp makes the current money. But wee must not be too frequent with the mint, everyday coyning. Nor fetch words from the extreme and utmost ages; since the chief virtue of a style is perspicitie, and nothing so virtues in it, as to need an Interpreter. Words borrow'd of Antiquity, does lend a kind of Majesty to style, and are not without their delight sometimes. For they have the Authority of years, and out of their intermission does win to themselves a kind of grace-like newness. But the eldest of the present and the newest the past Language is the best.

For what was the ancient Language, which some men so doate upon, but ancient Custom? Yet when I name Custom, I understand not the vulgar Custom: For that were a precept no less dangerous to Language, than life, if wee should speak or live after the manners of the vulgar: But that I call Custom of speech, which is the consent of the Learned; as Custom of life which is the consent of the good..."

Of diction, Johnson observes that appropriate diction should be used at appropriate occasions and concerning the subject matter. For instance, the highly evolved style is appropriate for matters of importance and becomes ridiculous when used to describe trivial matters 'Speaking of petty and inferious things".

Ben Johnson compares inappropriate use of highly evolved style to a 'great Counsellor of state' in a fancy dress; "Would you not laugh, to meet a great Counsellor of state in a flat cap, with his trunck hose, and a hobby-horse Cloake, his Gloves under his girdle, and yond Haberdasher in a velvet Gowne, furr'd with sables?" Ben Johson's and Dryden's observation on diverse aspects of literary productions are not only formed the anatomy of literary criticism in English but also of relevance even today to literary criticism and writing in other languages.

In essence, literacy criticism should be carried out basically on the merits and demerits of the literary production and not on the basis of whims and fancies of the critics. An informed literary critic should be able to formulate an argument and to carry on with evidence to back up that argument.