I. A. Richards

Ivor Armstrong Richards (February 26, 1893-1979) was an influential literary critic and rhetorician. His books, especially The Meaning of Meaning, Principles of Literary Criticism, Practical Criticism, and The Philosophy of Rhetoric, were among the founding documents of the New Criticism, and most of the eminent New Critics were Richards's students. Since the New Criticism, at least in English-speaking countries, is often thought of as the beginning of modern literary criticism, Richards is one of the founders of the contemporary study of literature in English.

Biographical Sketch

Beginnings

Richards began his career without formal training in literature at all; Richards studied philosophy ("moral sciences") at Cambridge University. This may have led to one of Richards' assertions for the shape of literary study in the 20th century -- that literary study cannot and should not be undertaken as a specialization in itself, but instead studied alongside a cognate field (philosophy, psychology, rhetoric, etc.).

Related Topics:
Philosophy - Cambridge University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Richards' earliest teaching appointments were in the equivalent of what might be called "adjunct faculty" positions; Magdalene College at Cambridge would not salary Richards to teach as new and untested a field as English literature. Instead, Richards collected tuition directly from the students as they entered the classroom each week.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Influence

Richards served as mentor and teacher to other prominent critics, most notably William Empson.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Death

At the time of Richards' death, in 1979, many recognized him as the father of modern literary critical theory, as an important thinker in the philosophy of language, a key figure in international education, and, to his delight, a poet.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~