Kuntaka s Vakrokti theory and Cleanth Brooks Irony as the principle of Structure: A
Comparative Study
Dr Gomatam Mohana Charyulu1 Dr.
Bhaskara Rama Lakshmi2
1. 1. Professor, Department of English, School of Applied Science and Humanities, VFSTR Deemed to be University, Vadlamudi AP India e-mail: gmcharyulu.g@gmail.com
Introduction:
It
is inevitable to study both Eastern and Western Critical approaches to language
and literature in order to have a thorough comprehension on the role of
language, literature and nature their critical theories. Over a long period of
time, the Western and Eastern Critical approaches to literary texts have been
considered to be two distinctly different streams of literary criticism. C.D.
Narsimhaiah, P S Sastry, Sisir Kumar Ghose, S.C Sengupta, Ayappa Panikar K.C Pandy
and a host of others tried to sysnthesize thse two opposite streams of critical
thoughts.
The present paper, “Kuntaka’s Vakrokti theory and Clearnth Brookes ‘Irony as the principle of Structure’: A
Comparative Study” is an attempt to harmonise these two overtly divergent but
covertly united streams of critical thoughts. The paper is restricted to
critical linguistic theories of New Critics to view in the light of Indian
aesthetics. The paper discusses Western New Critics theory in general and Cleanth
Brookes proposed ‘Irony’ in particular so as to form a clear perspective on how
the Indian and the Western ideas of Criticism become complementary to each
other.
Keywords:
Critical
Thoughts, Indian rhetoricians, Literature, Linguistics, Western Scholars.
Objectives:
i.
To
find how the Western New Critics and Indian Rhetoricians are complementary to
each other in understanding a literary text
ii.
To establish what Western critics think of literary
criticism in 20th century was traced centuries back by Indian
rhetoricians
iii.
To
analyse Kuntaka’s Vakrokti Jeevitam and how Cleanth Brooks Principle of Irony
come close together
The
entire argument is made on the descriptive and analytical methodology making argumentative comparisons between the
two and highlighting how Kuntaka excelled modern Western critics in understanding
and interpreting a literary text.
Results
and significance of the work:
Theoritically,
Abhida, Lakshna and Vynajana of Indian rhetoric’s in poetic expressions are
very closer to the Western connotative, denotative and suggestive meaning of
word expressed through a literary text. Kuntaka’s Sukumara Marga, Madhya Marga
and Vicitra marga Brooks graceful way, middle way and Special way of executing
literary figures are closely studied. Thus the paper tries to establish that
the Indian critics like Kuntaka and others are far ahead of Western Scholars in
understanding, interpreting, evaluation and explaining a literary text.
References:
1. Kane, P. V. The History of Sanskrit
Poetics, Motilal Banarasi Das, New Delhi, 1961.
2. Kapil Kapoor, Literary Theory:
Indian Conceptual Framework., Affiliated East-West Press Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi,
2013.
3. Kushwaha, M. S. Indian Poetics and
Western Thought, Agra, Publishing House, New Delhi, 1974.
4. Upadhyay, Dr. Ami. A Handbook of
the Indian Poetics and Aesthetics, Prakash Book Depot, Bareilly (U.P.), 2017.
5. Cleanth Brooks, “Irony as a
Principle of Structure,” in Literary Opinion in America, 3d, rev. ed., ed. Morton
Dauwen Zabel (New York: Harper & Row, 1962), 729-41.
6. Brooks, Cleanth. “Irony as a
Principle of Structure.” Twentieth
Century Criticism: The Major
Statements. Ed. William J. Handy and Max Westbrook. New Delhi, 1976.
7.
Drake,
Alfred J. Supplementary Remarks about
Cleanth Brooks’: Heresy of Paraphrase and Irony as a Principle of Structure. March 2003
8.
Gordon,
Walter K. Literature in Critical
Perspectives: An Anthology. Newyork: Rutgers University, 1968.
oOo
