Literary Criticism and Appreciation of Prescribed Texts
The criticism section asks you to explain how a text works, not to summarise it. Every judgement needs a technical term and a supporting line.
Tools
- ৰস: the aesthetic emotion. The নৱৰস are শৃঙ্গাৰ, হাস্য, কৰুণ, ৰৌদ্ৰ, বীৰ, ভয়ানক, বীভৎস, অদ্ভুত, শান্ত. Identify the স্থায়ী ভাৱ and its আলম্বন (the person or object arousing it).
- অলংকাৰ: উপমা (comparison with ৰ দৰে/সদৃশ), ৰূপক (identification without a comparator), উৎপ্ৰেক্ষা (as if), অনুপ্ৰাস (repeated consonants), অতিশয়োক্তি (hyperbole), স্বভাৱোক্তি (natural description).
- গুণ: প্ৰসাদ (clarity), ওজ (vigour), মাধুৰ্য (sweetness).
- ধ্বনি: suggested meaning that outruns the literal sense.
- Drama: look at সংলাপ, দ্বন্দ্ব and the role of the সুত্ৰধাৰ.
A four-step answer
- State the ৰস or theme. 2. Name the device. 3. Quote the words. 4. Explain the effect on the reader.
Worked example
Line: তোমাৰ চকু দুটা পুৱাৰ জোনাক; মোৰ হৃদয় এখন ৰাতিৰ বাগিছা. Reasoning: the eyes are called moonlight with no ৰ দৰে, so this is ৰূপক, not উপমা; the second clause extends it with a further identification (হৃদয় = বাগিছা). Effect: the lover's inner life becomes a place waiting for light, so the emotion is শৃঙ্গাৰ in its বিৰহ aspect.
Traps
- Calling every comparison an উপমা.
- Naming a ৰস without naming its আলম্বন.
- Paraphrasing the poem and calling it criticism.
- Importing biography when the question is about the text.