It covers German, English, French, Russian, and Eastern European criticism.
– Examines the mid-nineteenth century as critics navigated the space between romantic idealism and rising realism.
"A History of Modern Criticism" is an eight-volume work that chronicles the evolution of literary criticism from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century. The volumes are:
– Charts the rise of academic criticism and New Criticism in the United States.
René Wellek, a towering figure of twentieth-century comparative literature and a foundational proponent of the New Criticism, spent decades meticulously documenting the evolution of Western critical thought. Spanning over two centuries, his work moves far beyond mere chronological summary, engaging deeply with the philosophical and aesthetic underpinnings of critical theory. The volumes are historically divided as follows: a history of modern criticism rene wellek pdf
Searching for a PDF of this extensive work yields several common and important results, as the work is available in various forms online. Here is a guide to the most common search results:
René Wellek, a towering figure in Comparative Literature and a core architect of the New Criticism movement, designed his history to be both comprehensive and internationally minded. Moving away from purely national histories, Wellek treated Western literature and criticism as an interconnected whole. The eight volumes are generally structured as follows:
The ongoing debate between impressionistic criticism (judging art by emotional response) and judicial criticism (judging art by objective aesthetic standards).
The series is organized chronologically and by region, covering the transition from neoclassicism to the mid-20th century: : The Later Eighteenth Century. Volume 2 : The Romantic Age. Volume 3 : The Age of Transition. Volume 4 : The Later Nineteenth Century. It covers German, English, French, Russian, and Eastern
René Wellek’s A History of Modern Criticism: 1750–1950
René Wellek and the Monumental Legacy of A History of Modern Criticism
Digital versions make it easier to split screens, take notes, and cross-reference Wellek's commentary with the primary texts he is analyzing. How to Access Wellek's Work Ethically and Legally
Start with Volume 2 (The Romantic Age) . It is often considered the most engaging and covers the most radical shift in how we think about literature today. The volumes are: – Charts the rise of
Providing comprehensive summaries of the doctrines of the critics.
Unlike many scholars of his time who stayed in their lane, Wellek brought an "international perspective." He could weave together German, Russian, and Eastern European criticism with the same ease he discussed British and American giants. Project MUSE - A History of Modern Criticism
Critics argued that Wellek was too Eurocentric, focusing almost exclusively on Western canonical figures. Others noted that his commitment to "Formalism" and "New Criticism" made him biased against critics who believed literature could not be separated from political power or historical context.
Wellek rejected the idea that literary criticism should be studied within strict national boundaries. He argued that critical concepts flow constantly across borders. By reading his history, scholars see how a German philosophical idea from Immanuel Kant transformed into a poetic theory in England via Coleridge, and later influenced American transcendentalism. 2. The Autonomy of Art