Formalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form – the way it is made and its purely visual aspects – rather than its narrative content or its relationship to the visible world. ... All this led quickly to abstract art, an art of pure form.

Why formalism is important in literature?

In literary theory, formalism refers to critical approaches that analyze, interpret, or evaluate the inherent features of a text. ... The formalistic approach reduces the importance of a text's historical, biographical, and cultural context.

What is the importance of formalist criticism?

Formalist criticism is defined as a literary criticism approach which provides readers with a way to understand and enjoy a work for its own inherent value as a piece of literary art. Formalist critics spend a great deal of time analyzing irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor.