A formalist analysis of a poem is a way of examining the form, structure, and language of a poem to understand how they contribute to its overall meaning and effect on the reader. This type of analysis is often used to examine the technical aspects of a poem, such as its rhyme scheme, meter, and line breaks, as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, and sound devices.
One example of a poem that could be subject to a formalist analysis is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. This well-known poem is a reflective narrative about the choices we make in life and the consequences that follow.
The form of "The Road Not Taken" is a rhymed quatrain, with an ABAB rhyme scheme. This structure adds a sense of balance and stability to the poem, reflecting the theme of decision-making and the importance of considering all options.
The meter of the poem is predominantly iambic, with each line containing five iambic feet. This creates a rhythmic, lilting quality to the poem that reflects the contemplative nature of the speaker.
The language of the poem is simple and straightforward, using common words and phrases that are familiar to the reader. However, Frost also employs figurative language, such as the metaphor of the two roads as "ways" and the personification of the road as "somewhat worn." These devices add depth and complexity to the poem, helping the reader to better understand the speaker's thoughts and feelings.
In terms of sound devices, Frost uses repetition, alliteration, and assonance to create a musical quality to the poem. For example, the repetition of the phrase "I took the one less traveled by" emphasizes the speaker's choice to go against the norm, while the alliteration of "s" and "t" sounds in the line "And that has made all the difference" adds emphasis to the final words of the poem.
Overall, a formalist analysis of "The Road Not Taken" reveals how Frost's use of form, structure, and language contribute to the theme and meaning of the poem. By examining the technical aspects of the poem, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of its message and the feelings and thoughts of the speaker.
FREE The Formalist Approach to Literary Analysis Essay
That is why it is so interesting to the researchers who interpret his works. It is very easy to forget that it is a poetic work because, first of all, it is very dramatic by structure, and, secondly, because the speech flows like the narrative one despite of occasional rhyming. Formalism is a literary criticism philosophy that focuses on objects. After talking about these writers, I will write about similar obstacles I have faced with language and how it helped me recognize my relationship to literacy. When analyzing style from the formalist perspective diction, syntax, and rhythm are significant factors when applying the formalist approach because it distinguishes one author from another. The poem being written in a narrative contextual framework, helps the readers relate to it exceptionally well because of the realism being presented.
Formalist Analysis of âHome Burialâ by Robert Frost
Divided into four parts, covering definitions, the evaluation of evidence, extrinsic information, and intrinsic forms, such as styles and genres. The two compose poems in which they reflect on their inability to live up to their creative potential and the idea that death could intervene at any moment. Eliot, James Joyce, and William Butler Yeats. The anonymous narrator of the story wherein the idea of two lovers committing a mistake from the perspective of society is seen to be a sin in the eyes of society, while the narrator finds nothing wrong in being in love. Originally published in 1930. Secondly, the metaphor of leaving the house suggests that she wants to leave her husband and break the marriage. In France, formalism has long been employed as a pedagogical exercise in reading literature in the universities and in the lycées.
What is New Formalism? Definition, Writers, and Literary Examples
To identify features of a text that are unnecessary to its creation is difficult if not impossible. Since he doesn't know where either road ends, he doesn't know which one to require. Likewise, to illustrate, right from the beginning of the story where the male protagonist is about to hang himself, to turning the plot of how an earthquake approaches, the entire depiction being done in no time is again appreciable. Formalism, as the name implies, deals with the form of the text. Newer critical approaches appeared, none of which was content to remain within the structure of the poem itselfâthe archetypal criticism of Northrop Frye, the phenomenological criticism of Georges Poulet and J. The last date is today's date â the date you are citing the material.
Formalism
These "formal" qualities include everything that marks a text as "literary"â Some examples of formalist approaches to literature can be found in Vladmir Propp's "Morphology of the Russian Folktale," which broke the folktale into discrete components which could be used to construct a kind of "grammar" or Formalist literary criticism focuses on the text as the major artifact worthy of study rather than, say, the author him or herself, the historical time period during which the text was written, how the text responds to gender roles or class concerns during the period, or anything else that exists outside of the text's world itself. The compositions of these poems show that the poets, Owen and Brooks, did not write for an audience, but rather for an absent reader, by using more imagery and sound elements. Robert Penn Warren, Critic. The linguistic choice inspired my imagination to visualize a woman walking alone. . Includes two appendixes and index. This poem by Robert Frost tells a very unique story that I will attempt to unravel using the Formalist Approach.
