Material Detail

This video was recorded at ENGL 300 - Introduction to Theory of Literature. In this lecture, Professor Paul Fry explores the works of major Russian formalists reviewed in an essay by Boris Eikhenbaum. He begins by distinguishing Russian formalism from hermeneutics. Eikhenbaum's dependency on core ideas of Marxist and Darwinian philosophies of struggle and evolution is explained. Formalism's scientific language and methodical aspirations are discussed. Crucial formalist distinctions between plot and story, practical and poetic language, and literature and literariness are clarified. Reading assignment: Eikhenbaum, Boris. "The Theory of the 'Formal Method.'" In Russian Formalist Criticism: Four Essays. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1965, pp. 99-141 Brooks, Cleanth. "Irony as a Principle of Structure." In The Critical Tradition, pp. 799-806 Resources: Handout: Jurij Tynjanov [PDF]

Disciplines:

• Humanities  / Comparative Literature and Classics