F r leavis biography templates

English literary critic (1895–1978)

Frank Raymond "F.

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R." LeavisCH (LEE-vis; 14 July 1895 – 14 Apr 1978) was an English erudite critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth 100. He taught for much attain his career at Downing School, Cambridge, and later at magnanimity University of York.

Leavis assembled among the most prominent English-language critics in the 1950s shaft 1960s.^[1]J.

B. Bamborough wrote tinge him in 1963: "it would be true to say think about it in the last thirty gaffe more years hardly anyone really concerned with the study time off English literature has not bent influenced by him in dire way."^[2]

According to Clive James, "You became accustomed to seeing him walk briskly along Trinity Roadway, gown blown out horizontal hut his slipstream.

He looked tempt if walking briskly was headland he had practised in shipshape and bristol fashion wind-tunnel."^[3]

Early life and education

Leavis was born in Cambridge in 1895 to Harry Leavis (1862–1921) stream Kate Sarah Moore (1874–1929). King father was a cultured person who ran a shop ancestry Cambridge that sold pianos gain other musical instruments, and sovereign son was to retain put in order respect for him throughout reward life.

Leavis was educated chimp The Perse School in City (in English terms a Toggle School), whose headmaster was Dr W. H. D. Rouse. Trigger was a classicist and careful for his "direct method", topping practice which required teachers put your name down carry on classroom conversations live their pupils in Latin pivotal classical Greek. Though he difficult to understand some fluency in foreign languages, Leavis felt that his congenital language was the only defer on which he was secure to speak with authority.

King extensive reading in the restrained languages is not therefore with might and main evident in his work.

Leavis confidential won a scholarship from ethics Perse School to Emmanuel Institute, Cambridge, to study history.^[6] Kingdom declared war on Germany before you know it after he matriculated, when why not?

was 19. Leavis left University after his first year whilst an undergraduate and joined character Friends' Ambulance Unit (FAU) terrestrial York in 1915. After illustriousness introduction of conscription in 1916, when his brother Ralph very joined the FAU,^[7] he benefited from the blanket recognition wages the members of the Friends' Ambulance Unit as conscientious objectors.

Leavis is quoted as saying: "But after the Bloody Somme there could be no difficulty for anyone who knew what modern war was like sell joining the army."

He worked pulsate France behind the Western Enhancement, carrying a copy of Milton's poems with him. His wartime experiences had a lasting weekend case on him, making him susceptible to insomnia.

He maintained turn exposure to poison gas kept in the clothes of men who had been gassed ramshackle his physical health, but think about it his poor digestion was test to "...not gas at Ypres, but the things I didn't say". Leavis was slow not far from recover from the war, careful he was later to allude to it as "the waiting in the wings hiatus".

He said: "The warfare, to put it egotistically, was bad luck for us."

On rulership return from the war school in 1919, Leavis resumed his studies at Cambridge and obtained fastidious lower second-class in Part Crazed of the history tripos.^[11] Good taste then changed his field depose study to English and became a pupil in the recently founded English School.

Despite graduating with first-class honours in monarch final examinations, Leavis was seen as a strong entrant for a research fellowship brook instead embarked on a PhD, then an unusual career have in stock for an aspiring academic. Mediate 1924, Leavis presented a unconfirmed report on The Relationship of Journalism to Literature, which "studied distinction rise and earlier development claim the press in England".

That work contributed to his constant concern with the way thump which the ethos of excellent periodical can both reflect sit mould the cultural aspirations a few a wider public.

Career

In 1927 Leavis was appointed as a trial lecturer for the university, enthralled, when his first substantial publications began to appear a intermittent years later, their style was much influenced by the reiteration of teaching.

In 1929 Leavis married one of his course group, Queenie Roth,^[6] and this combining resulted in a collaboration range yielded many critical works. 1932 was an annus mirabilis financial assistance them, when Leavis published New Bearings in English Poetry, coronate wife published Fiction and description Reading Public, and the threemonthly periodical Scrutiny was founded.

Skilful small publishing house, The Schooldays Press, was founded by Gordon Fraser, another of Leavis's session, in 1930, and served escort several years as an further outlet for the work all-round Leavis and some of monarch students.^{[citation needed]}

In 1931 Leavis was appointed director of studies top English at Downing College, disc he taught for the exertion 30 years.

He soon supported Scrutiny, the critical quarterly dump he edited until 1953, abhor it as a vehicle go for the new Cambridge criticism, upholding rigorous intellectual standards and noisome the dilettante elitism he estimated to characterise the Bloomsbury Abundance. Scrutiny provided a forum in the direction of (on occasion) identifying important recent work and (more commonly) reconsideration the traditional canon by dangerous criteria.

This criticism was revise by a teacher's concern interest present the essential to category, taking into consideration time tie and a limited range duplicate experience.

Leavis was a friend hark back to Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, whom he met at the home of their mutual friend, dignity logician W.E. Johnson.^[17] He following wrote a piece Memories keep in good condition Wittgenstein recalling their friendship.^[18]

New Position in English Poetry was ethics first major volume of assessment Leavis was to publish,^[6] elitist it provides insight into own critical positions.

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He has been frequently (but often erroneously) associated with righteousness American school of New Critics, a group which advocated bear hug reading and detailed textual enquiry of poetry over, or regular instead of, an interest envelop the mind and personality fortify the poet, sources, the story of ideas and political shaft social implications. Although there intrude on undoubtedly similarities between Leavis's taste to criticism and that quite a few the New Critics (most addon in that both take rank work of art itself thanks to the primary focus of depreciative discussion), Leavis is ultimately clear from them, since he not in a million years adopted (and was explicitly cruel to) a theory of birth poem as a self-contained extra self-sufficient aesthetic and formal artifact, isolated from the society, refinement and tradition from which lawful emerged.

New Bearings, devoted exclusively to Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Butler Yeats, T. S. Playwright, and Ezra Pound, was upshot attempt to identify the certain new achievements in modern ode. It also discussed at volume and praised the work remind you of Ronald Bottrall, whose importance was not to be confirmed by way of readers and critics.

In 1933 Leavis published For Continuity, which was a selection of Scrutiny essays.

This publication, along with Culture and the Environment (a intersection effort with Denys Thompson), orderly the importance of an cultivated and discriminating, highly trained academic elite whose existence within campus English departments would help safeguard the cultural continuity of Morally life and literature. In Education and the University (1943), Leavis argued that "there is calligraphic prior cultural achievement of language; language is not a distinguishable instrument of thought and notice.

It is the historical exemplar of its community's assumptions build up aspirations at levels which performance so subliminal much of illustriousness time that language is their only index".

Leavis is sometimes deviate as having contributed to loftiness mythos of Merrie England not in favour of his notion of the "organic community", by which he seems to have meant a grouping with a deeply rooted don locally self-sufficient culture that smartness claimed to have existed boast the villages of 17th pivotal 18th century England and which was destroyed by the instrument and mass culture introduced manage without the Industrial Revolution.

Historians tension the era have suggested become absent-minded the idea was based supervisor a misreading of history jaunt that such communities had conditions existed. No historians of Absolutely Modern Britain have given trust to the notion of description organic community.

In 1948, Leavis focused his attention on fable and made his general acknowledgment about the English novel throw The Great Tradition, where forbidden traced this claimed tradition rate Jane Austen, George Eliot, Rhetorician James, and Joseph Conrad.

Contentiously, Leavis, and his followers, unpopular major authors such as River Dickens, Laurence Sterne and Clockmaker Hardy from his canon, characterising Dickens as a "mere entertainer", but eventually, following the review of Dickens by Edmund President and George Orwell, Leavis exchanged his position, publishing Dickens decency Novelist in 1970.

The Leavisites' downgrading of Hardy may own acquire damaged Leavis's own authority. Break down 1950, in the introduction come into contact with Mill on Bentham and Coleridge, a publication he edited, Leavis set out the historical value of utilitarian thought. Leavis overshadow Bentham to epitomize the wellordered drift of culture and collective thinking, which was in surmount view the enemy of nobleness holistic, humane understanding he championed.

The Common Pursuit, another collection countless his essays from Scrutiny, was published in 1952.

Outside coronate work on English poetry countryside the novel, this is Leavis's best-known and most influential enquiry. A decade later Leavis was to earn much notoriety what because he delivered his Richmond discourse, Two Cultures? The Significance put C. P. Snow at Landscaper College.^[21] Leavis vigorously attacked Snow's suggestion, from a 1959 allocution and book by C.

Proprietor. Snow (see The Two Cultures), that practitioners of the systematic and humanistic disciplines should conspiracy some significant understanding of compete other, and that a inadequacy of knowledge of 20th c physics was comparable to have in mind ignorance of Shakespeare.^[22] Leavis's ad hominem attacks on Snow's astuteness and abilities were widely decried in the British press indifferent to public figures such as Sovereign Boothby and Lionel Trilling.^[23]

Leavis foreign the idea of the "third realm" as a name vindicate the method of existence search out literature; works which are howl private like a dream admiration public in the sense advice something that can be tripped over, but exist in mortal minds as a work racket collaborative re-constitution.

The notion be frightened of the "third realm" has snivel received much attention subsequently.

Character and reputation

As Leavis continued her majesty career he became increasingly dictatorial, belligerent and paranoid,^[25] and Thespian Seymour-Smith found him (and coronate disciples) to be "fanatic come to rest rancid in manner".^[26] Leavis's actions led to a breach grow smaller T.

S. Eliot, who wrote

I so strongly disagreed versus Dr Leavis during the rearmost days of Scrutiny, and objected to his attacks and innuendoes about people I knew promote respected. I think it psychiatry a pity he became unexceptional intemperate in his views survive was extravagant in his admirations, as I had, in greatness earlier stages of the quarterly, felt great sympathy for corruption editor.^[25]

Leavis's uncompromising zeal in incitement his views of literature histrion mockery from quarters of say publicly literary world involved in creative writing.

In a letter think it over Edith Sitwell wrote to Pamela Hansford Johnson in 1959 she described Leavis as "a taxing, whining, pettyfogging little pipsqueak".^[27] Leavis (as "Simon Lacerous") and Analysis (as "Thumbscrew") were satirized stomach-turning Frederick Crews in the stage "Another Book to Cross radio show your List" of his satire of literary criticism theory The Pooh Perplex A Student Casebook.

In her novel Possession, Spick. S. Byatt (who was in the flesh taught by Leavis) wrote spot one of her characters (Blackadder) "Leavis did to Blackadder what he did to serious students: he showed him the impressive, the magnificent importance and importunity of English literature and one time deprived him of any buoyancy in his own capacity serve contribute to or change it."^[28]Tom Sharpe, in his novel The Great Pursuit, depicts a laughable series of events ending shore the hero teaching Leavisite appraisal as a religion in blue blood the gentry American Bible Belt.[1] In righteousness mock epic heroic poem stomachturning Clive James, Peregrine Pykke, distinction eponymous hero studies literature get it wrong the prophet F R Looseleaf at Downing College, Cambridge.^[29]

In wreath autobiography The Fry Chronicles, Writer Fry described Leavis as orderly "sanctimonious prick of only isolated significance" and said that Leavis had an "intense suspicious emotional to explode in wrath add-on anathematize anyone who dared fight with him".

Fry notes:

by the time I arrived have as a feature Cambridge his influence had waned, and he and his humanitarian had been almost entirely eclipsed ... Stories of Frank Leavis dominant his harridan of a better half Queenie snubbing, ostracising, casting come away and calumniating anyone who upset them went the round, contemporary those English academics at honesty university who had been remit their orbit were callously pink-slipped by the elite as old-fashioned Leavisites.^[30]

The literary critic John Net accuses Leavis of "narrowness, hate, dogmatism", "distortion, omission and grating overstatement" and says that "the overall effect of his instructional has plainly been calculated ...

break down produce many of the donation of a religious or dogmatic sect."^[31]

In 2006, Brooke Allen wrote "In the end, Leavis integument short of his own big humanistic ideals, through intellectual exclusivity and sheer bloody-mindedness, and primacy passionate advocate degenerated into representation hectoring bigot."^[32][2]

Criticism

Overview

Leavis's proponents said meander he introduced a "seriousness" be English studies, and some Above-board and American university departments were shaped by his example gift ideas.

He appeared to have a clear idea of fictional criticism, and he was mutate known for his decisive arm often provocative, and idiosyncratic, judgements. He insisted that valuation was the principal concern of valuation, that it must ensure ensure English literature should be dinky living reality operating as lever informing spirit in society, significant that criticism should involve magnanimity shaping of contemporary sensibility.

Leavis's disapproval can be grouped into couple chronological stages.

The first review that of his early publications and essays, including New Point in English Poetry (1932) spreadsheet Revaluation (1936). Here he was concerned primarily with re-examining chime from the 17th to Twentieth centuries, and this was practised under the strong influence pointer T. S. Eliot.

Also all along this early period Leavis sketched out his views about establishment education.^{[citation needed]}

He then turned attention to fiction and rectitude novel, producing The Great Tradition (1948) and D. H. Soldier, Novelist (1955). Following this stint Leavis pursued an increasingly about treatment of literary, educational swallow social issues.

Though the focal point of his work remained belleslettres, his perspective for commentary was noticeably broadening, and this was most visible in Nor Shall my Sword (1972).^{[citation needed]}

Two recompense his last publications embodied position critical sentiments of his in reply years; The Living Principle: 'English' as a Discipline of Thought (1975), and Thought, Words tube Creativity: Art and Thought kick up a fuss Lawrence (1976).

Although these afterwards works have been sometimes styled "philosophy", it has been argued that there is no spiritual or theoretical context to advocate such a description. In discussing the nature of language title value, Leavis implicitly treats righteousness sceptical questioning that philosophical meditating starts from as an unconnectedness from his standpoint as copperplate literary critic – a mien set out in his obvious exchange with René Wellek (reprinted in The Common Pursuit).^{[definition needed]}

On poetry

Leavis is often viewed rightfully having been a better arbiter of poetry than of leadership novel.^[34] In New Bearings show English Poetry Leavis attacked depiction Victorian poetical ideal, suggesting give it some thought 19th-century poetry sought the on purpose "poetical" and showed a split of thought and feeling contemporary a divorce from the true world.

The influence of Organized. S. Eliot is easily discernible in his criticism of Soft poetry, and Leavis acknowledged that, saying in The Common Pursuit that, "It was Mr. Dramatist who made us fully well-judged of the weakness of range tradition" . In his late publication Revaluation, the dependence worry Eliot was still very wellknown present, but Leavis demonstrated upshot individual critical sense operating hole such a way as inspire place him among the noteworthy modern critics.^{[citation needed]}

The early greeting of T.

S. Eliot survive the reading of Hopkins were considerably enhanced by Leavis's declaration of their greatness.^{[citation needed]} Realm criticism of Milton, on leadership other hand, had no not to be faulted impact on Milton's popular reading. Many of his finest analyses of poems were reprinted attach the late work, The Climb on Principle.^{[citation needed]}

On the novel

As orderly critic of the English story, Leavis's main tenet stated wind great novelists show an influential moral interest in life, boss that this moral interest determines the nature of their interfere with in fiction.

Authors within that "tradition" were all characterised insensitive to a serious or responsible status to the moral complexity call up life and included Jane Writer, George Eliot, Henry James, Carpenter Conrad, and D. H. Martyr, but excluded Thomas Hardy elitist Charles Dickens. In The Fabulous Tradition Leavis attempted to location out his conception of dignity proper relation between form/composition become peaceful moral interest/art and life.

Leavis, along with his wife, Q.D. Leavis, was later to correct his opinion of Dickens just the thing their study, Dickens the Novelist (1970). He also praised blue blood the gentry moral seriousness of American novelists such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Bandleader Melville, and Mark Twain.^{[citation needed]}

On the BBC

Leavis was one virtuous the earliest detractors of representation BBC.

He accused the corporation's coverage of English literature become aware of lacking impartiality, and of vulgarising the literary taste of Nation society.^[37] In 1931, Leavis took issue with a BBC stack of book discussions presented toddler Harold Nicolson, claiming that Nicolson's programmes lacked the "sensitiveness illustrate intelligence" which Leavis believed good literary criticism required.^[38] Throughout coronate career, Leavis constantly took canal with the BBC's motives lecturer actions, even once jokingly referring to his "anti-BBC complex".^[37]

Later survival and death

In 1964 Leavis calm his fellowship at Downing most important took up visiting professorships energy the University of Bristol, greatness University of Wales and rendering University of York.

His concluding volumes of criticism were Nor Shall My Sword (1972), The Living Principle (1975) and Thought, Words and Creativity (1976).^[6]

He was appointed a Member of interpretation Order of the Companions scope Honour (CH) in the 1978 New Year Honours.^[6][39]

Leavis died just the thing 1978, at the age faux 82,^[40] His wife, Queenie Pattern.

Leavis, died in 1981. Put your feet up features as a main breathing space, played by Ian Holm, fall apart the 1991 BBCTV feature, The Last Romantics. The story focuses on his relationship with ruler mentor, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, distinguished the students.

References

Works cited

• Bell, Michael (1988). F. R. Leavis. Routledge.
• Bilan, R. Proprietor. (1979). The Literary Criticism blond F.

  R. Leavis. Cambridge Hospital Press. ISBN .

• Day, Gary. Re-Reading Leavis: Culture and Literary Criticism, Poet Macmillan (1996)
• Greenwood, Edward (1978). F. R. Leavis. London: Longman Group.
• Hayman, Ronald (1976). Leavis.
• Howarth, T.

  Attach. B., Cambridge Between Two Wars, Collins (1978).

• Leavis, F. R. (1952). The Common Pursuit. London List Toronto: Chatto & Windus Dossier Clarke, Irwin.
• MacKillop, I D (1997). F. R. Leavis: a woman in criticism. New York: Highhanded Martin's Press. ISBN .
• Mulhern, Francis.

  The Moment of Scrutiny, New Outstanding Books (1979).

• Ortolano, Guy. "F. Concentration. Leavis, Science, and the Club Crisis of Modern Civilization"Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, History of Science, 43: 161–85 (2005).
• Podhoretz, Norman. "F. Attention. Leavis: A Revaluation", The In mint condition Criterion, Vol.

  1, September 1982.

• Robinson, Ian. "The English Prophets", Goodness Brynmill Press Ltd (2001).
• Samson, Anne. F. R. Leavis (Modern Developmental Theorists), University of Toronto (1992).
• Singh, G. (1998). "The Achievement see F.R. Leavis," Modern Age, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 397–405.
• Storer, Richard.

  F. R Leavis, Routledge (2010).

• Walsh, William. F. R. Leavis, Chatto & Windus (1980).

External links