Preference and Persuasion in Literary Criticism, with Special Reference to Cleanth Brooks

Abstract

This speculative effort will deal with two subjects, Cleanth Brooks and the nature of literary judgment, the latter being the main subject. Brooks will provide a terminus a quo and a terminus ad quem as well as occasional illustration, but normative decision and normative argument in respect to literature will be the theme. I choose to make this use of Brooks for several reasons. Not only have I greatly admired his work for many years, but he raised very forcefully the issue with which I wish to deal and thus will help to make the presentation of the issue more concrete. Moreover, I think that his position on this issue is instructively susceptible of a different rationale from that to which he seems to be inclined. He raised the issue in terms of the old-