Lecture Literary criticism - Lecture 26: Arnold’s Cannons of Criticism

Arnold’s Cannons of Criticism


• Arnold defined criticism as “a disinterested
endeavored to learn and propagate the best that is
known and thought in the world.”The first principle of
criticism ,according to Mathew Arnold ,is
disinterestedness,which is to be attained by,keeping
aloof from what is called the practical view of
things”.The practical view so called ,id the view
distorted by irrelevant considerations-political,social
or religious.


• Arnold lamented: “Our organs of criticism are organs
of men and parties having practical ends to serve ,
and with them those practical ends are the first thing
and the play of the mind the second;so much play of
mind as is compatible with the prosecution of those
practical ends is all that is ended”


• The critic must therefore ,be free from all
prejudices.He should not favor this or that
opinion,this or that form of art.He must be the same
to all men.To be self-centered or self-willed is
absolutely incompatible with useful criticism.


• The true ideal of criticism is “disinterested
objectivity”.The critic should have no strong bent in

religion ,no special view in politics,no art of his own
,and no philosophy of his own,and no philosophic
system to propagate,for all these things hinder ‘a free
disinterested play of mind’ which alone can enable
the critic to ‘dwell upon that is excellent in itself,and
the absolute beauty and fitness of things.’To put it in
the words of Scott James a critic”must be
tolerant,dispassionate,balanced,curious,aware that
“everything is possible and nothing certain”.


• Arnold recommends the study of the ancient Greek
masters because they possess this quality of
“disinterested objectivity” in an absolute degree.


• Disinterestedness ,then is the first and the greatest
rule of criticism .With this goes knowledge.A critic
cannot be disinterested unless he is well-equipped
with knowledge-knowledge of the best that has been
thought and said in the world- the best not from the
stand point of a personal estimate or from that of a
historical estimate,but from the standpoint of genuine
intrinsic excellence ,unprejudiced by any
consideration of personal likes and dislikes or by
those of place and time.


• Arnold firmly adheres to the cosmopolitan view of
criticism .He wants to lift criticism above the barriers

of time and place.The critic must know the best that
has been thought and said.Both in ancient and in
modern times ,not only in his own language,but in the
languages from which his native literature is
derived,and in those which are producing literature
concurrently.It is thus ,by the comparative method ,by
seeing how others do what we also are impelled to
attempt,that provinciality is avoided.


• Criticism must be a antidote to parochialism.He
severely criticizes the provincial spirit in his essay on
the Literary Influence of Academics.The provincial
spirit ,he says ,exaggerates the value of its ideas for
want of a high standard at hand by which to try
them.Or rather .for want of such a standard,it gives
no idea too much prominence at the expense of
others;it orders its ideas amiss;it is hurried away by
fancies;it likes and dislikes too passionately,too
exclusively.


• Its admiration weeps hysterical tears,and its
disapprobation foams at the mouth.So we get the
eruptive and the aggressive manner in literature; the
former prevails most in our criticism ,the latter in our
newspaper.For ,not having the lucidity of a large and
centrally placed intelligence ,the provincial spirit has
not its graciousness ;it does not persuade ,it makes
war ;it has no urbanity ,the tone of the city,of the

center,the tone which always aims at a spiritual and
intellectual effect,and not excluding the use of
banter,never disjoins banter itself from
politeness,from felicity


• Arnold criticizes the deficiency of the knowledge of
the best (that has been thought and said in the
world)in England.”We know ,as a nation laudable
energy and persistence in walking according to the
best light that we have ,but are not quite careful
enough,perhaps, to see that our light to be not
darkness”


• That is why Arnold insists on a vast knowledge – a
knowledge which may show the critic the true light of
reason .But Arnold was at the same time ,fully alive
to the dangers of a vast load of learning.He does not
recommend the learning of everything, he confirms
himself only to the best .The critic has to use his own
discretion.He has to select and assimilate the best.


• Sometimes a critic is tempted to magnify the
achievements of a very minor poet simply because
the poet happens to occupy an important position
from the historical estimate.That is not just, not wise.

• Arnold sounds a warning against the historical
estimate.A poet or a poem may count to us
historically.The course of development of a nation’s
language ,thought and poetry, is profoundly
interesting ;and by regarding a poet’s work as a stage
in this development we may easily bring ourselves to
make it off more importance as poetry than in itself it
really is ,we may come to use a language of quite
exaggerated praise in criticizing it ;in short,to overrate
it.


• The greatest bane of the critic ,according to
Arnold,was however ,the all too common tendency to
allow private preferences to color or modify
dispassionate common sense view of
things.He,therefore ,contends,against the personal
element as well in critical judgment.


• A poet or poem may count to us on grounds persona
to ourselves.Our personal affinities,likings,and
circumstances have great power to sway our
estimates of this or that poet’s work, and to make us
attach more importance to it as poetry than in itself it
really possesses because to us it is or has been ,of
high importance .Here ,also we overrate the object of
our interest,and apply to it a language of praise which
is quite exaggerated.

• The greatest function of criticism ,then is to “see the
object as in itself it really is.It should never relinquish
its vision of what might be,or can be;it should simply
satisfy itself with what is criticism must maintain its
independence of the practical spirit and its aims.Even
with well meant efforts of the practical spirit it must
express dissatisfaction if in the sphere of the ideal
they seem impoverishing and limiting.It must not
hurry on the goal because of its practical
importance .It must be patient, and know how to wait;
and flexible,and know how to attach itself to things
and to withdraw from them


• Criticism should perform , according to Mathew
Arnold ,even more difficult things than this .It must be
apt to study and praise elements that for the fullness
of spiritual perfection are wanted .even though they
belong to a power which in the practical sphere may
be maleficent.It must be apt to discern the spiritual
short comings or illusions of powers that in the
practical sphere may be beneficent


• Another function of criticism ,according to Arnold “to
create a current of true and fresh ideas.Its business
is to do this with inflexible honesty, with due ability
but its business is ti do no more , and leave alone all
questions of practical consequences and applications

,questions which never fail to have due prominence
given to them


• Scott James has rightly remarked the Arnold’s
criticism,was on the way to become a branch of
social reform.And perhaps it was for this reason that
his doctrines readily took root in England,appealing to
the practical English mind which he had himself so
sternly criticized.It came to pass that the apostle of
disinterestedness appealed to the apostles of
betterment.Thus Arnold gave anew task to criticism
to prepare a social atmosphere which will stimulate
the artist – to make the best that has been written
familiar to the public


• Hence the chief critical cannons of Arnold declares
that it is the duty of a critic to develop the attitude of
objective detachment or disinterestedness.Then he
should learn and understand the best that is known in
the world.He must see things as they really are.


• Thus equipped , with knowledge and the power of
detached objectivity the critics second task is to hand
on his ideas to others,convert the world to make the
best ideas prevail.His work in this respect is that of a
missionary .But ,thirdly, he is also preparing an
atmosphere favorable for the creative genius of the

future –promoting a current of ideas .The highest
degree animating and nourishing to the creative
powers.


• A critic ,according to Mathew Arnold, is a man of
culture concerned with all aspects scientific and
aesthetic.His function as a literary critic is therefore
,to promote that part of culture which depends upon
knowledge of letters.Culture, for Arnold is also a
moral aspect .It is a study of perfection which moves
by force , not only of the passion for knowledge,but
also of a moral and social passion for doing good.