formalismile

Formalismile is a concept within literary and art criticism that emphasizes the form, structure, and style of a work rather than its content, subject matter, or social context. Proponents of formalism argue that the aesthetic value of a work lies in its internal elements, such as line, color, shape, composition, meter, rhyme, and narrative structure, and how these elements are arranged and interact. The meaning and impact of a piece are seen as arising from these formal qualities, independent of any external factors like the author's intentions, historical circumstances, or the audience's emotional response.

In literature, formalist criticism, often associated with the New Criticism movement, focuses on close reading of the text itself. This involves analyzing literary devices like metaphor, symbolism, imagery, and paradox to understand how they contribute to the overall unity and coherence of the work. The interpretation is derived solely from the words on the page, with extraneous information disregarded.

Similarly, in visual arts, formalism focuses on the visual elements like line, form, color, and texture. The subject matter is often considered secondary or even irrelevant; the arrangement and interplay of these formal elements are paramount. The emphasis is on how the visual components create an aesthetic experience for the viewer. Formalism, in essence, seeks to understand "how" a work is made and "how" it functions as an aesthetic object, rather than "what" it is about or "why" it was created.