Formalism and New Criticism

Active learning works because Formalism and New Criticism demand students shift from passive reading to precise, evidence-based analysis. By engaging with texts through structured tasks, students practice identifying literary devices and tracing their effects, which builds the analytical stamina required for close reading.

• Year 12
• English
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how specific literary devices, such as paradox and irony, contribute to the overall unity of a text according to Formalist principles.
2. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of a Formalist approach when analyzing a poem by comparing its interpretations to those considering authorial context.
3. Explain how the concept of 'defamiliarization' functions within a text to alter reader perception.
4. Critique an argument that relies heavily on authorial biography by demonstrating how Formalism would approach the same text.

Socratic Seminar

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Paired Annotation: Textual Devices

Pairs receive a poem or prose extract. They highlight literary devices, note their effects on unity, and swap annotations to add one insight each. Conclude with pairs sharing one key finding with the class.

Prepare & details

Explain how Formalism prioritizes the text itself over authorial intent or historical context.

Facilitation Tip: During Paired Annotation, circulate and listen for pairs arguing over the effect of a specific device before they write their interpretations.

Setup: Chairs arranged in two concentric circles

Materials: Discussion question/prompt (projected), Observation rubric for outer circle

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Jigsaw

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Formalist Analysis

Divide class into expert groups on specific devices like irony or structure. Experts analyze a shared text excerpt, then regroup to teach peers and reconstruct overall meaning. Finish with a whole-class vote on strongest evidence.

Prepare & details

Analyze how literary devices contribute to the overall unity and meaning of a text.

Facilitation Tip: In Jigsaw Groups, assign each group a different formalist concept so they must teach it to peers through textual examples.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Socratic Seminar

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Strengths and Limits

Set up stations with prompts on formalism's pros and cons. Small groups rotate, adding textual evidence to posters. Each rotation, groups respond to prior ideas before moving.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the strengths and limitations of a purely textual approach to literary analysis.

Facilitation Tip: Set a timer during the Debate Carousel to keep rotations tight, ensuring all students contribute to each station.

Setup: Chairs arranged in two concentric circles

Materials: Discussion question/prompt (projected), Observation rubric for outer circle

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Socratic Seminar

⏱ 50 min·Individual

Individual Close Reading Challenge

Students select a short text, write a 200-word formalist analysis focusing on form-content unity. Peer review follows, using a checklist of key tenets.

Prepare & details

Explain how Formalism prioritizes the text itself over authorial intent or historical context.

Facilitation Tip: For the Individual Close Reading Challenge, provide a model response in advance so students see the expected level of textual detail.

Setup: Chairs arranged in two concentric circles

Materials: Discussion question/prompt (projected), Observation rubric for outer circle

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teachers approach this topic by modeling how to slow down and interrogate a single line for layers of meaning. Avoid rushing students to summary; instead, insist on evidence-based claims about form. Research suggests that students grasp formalist principles best when they see how devices create tension and resolution, so practice analyzing paradox and irony first in shorter texts before moving to longer works.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently isolating textual features, explaining their function without recourse to external sources, and defending their interpretations with clear evidence. They should also be able to articulate the strengths and limits of this approach in discussion.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Paired Annotation, watch for students dismissing devices as 'just metaphors' without analyzing their contribution to the text's structure.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt pairs to ask, 'How does this metaphor complicate or clarify the poem’s central tension?' and have them revise their notes to reflect textual evidence.

Common Misconception

During Jigsaw Groups, watch for students equating Formalism with simply listing devices rather than explaining how they create organic unity.

What to Teach Instead

Ask each group to prepare one sentence that ties their assigned device to the text’s overall coherence, using Brooks’ concept of resolved tensions as a guide.

Common Misconception

During Debate Carousel, watch for students conflating Formalism with ignoring all context, even when the activity asks for text-only analysis.

What to Teach Instead

At each station, post a prompt like 'Find one moment where context might influence this device' and have students note it before defending their formalist stance.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Paired Annotation, collect one pair’s annotated poem and assess their ability to identify three devices and explain each one’s contribution to the poem’s meaning using formalist principles.

Discussion Prompt

During Jigsaw Groups, assign each group a historical critic who argues for contextual interpretation. Have them prepare a 60-second rebuttal using textual evidence from their assigned poem.

Exit Ticket

After the Debate Carousel, ask students to write two sentences on an exit ticket: one strength of Formalism and one limitation when analyzing social commentary, using evidence from the debates.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to rewrite a paragraph from a novel using only formalist techniques, then compare their version to the original.
• For students who struggle, provide a partially annotated poem with key devices highlighted to scaffold their analysis.
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to select a contemporary song lyric and perform a formalist reading, presenting their findings to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Close Reading	A method of literary analysis that involves careful, detailed attention to the text itself, focusing on its language, structure, and literary devices.
Defamiliarization	A concept, particularly from Russian Formalism, describing the artistic technique of presenting common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar.
Organic Unity	A concept central to New Criticism, suggesting that all parts of a literary work are interconnected and contribute to a unified whole, with no extraneous elements.
Literary Devices	Specific techniques used by writers to create meaning and effect, such as metaphor, simile, paradox, irony, and imagery, which Formalism examines closely.
Intrinsic Analysis	An approach to literary study that focuses solely on the elements within the text itself, excluding external factors like author's life or historical period.