The record-union., 1898-06-20
OATCHWORD CRITICISM.


on Criticism said that just as soon as
the critic drops into the use of catch
words and formulae, there is certainty
that he is lapsing into degeneration
This is so eminently true that it is
| strange some one has not before noted
| the symptom Says Mr. Asquith:
There is nothing more hampering to
the free and elastic play of the judg
ment than the habit easily acquired, be-
| cause it saves trouble, of drawing ones
words and phrases from particular lit
erary or artistic dialect The true func-
ton of criticism is Interpretation, the
| first duty of the critic is to get inside
his authors skin and there discover his
motive"
More than half of the literary and
dramatic criticism in the public jour-
mails of this day is Of the order that
deals with catchwords and standard"
forms of expressions; more than half of
1T by the way, cynical. 1t is so learned
and sounds so loftily TO talk of the "ar
tistic," OF the canons of art the absence
/
the ideal'' etc, that criticism Of the
order has become to be machine-like,
absolutely nom helpful to witness or to
artist, not to say incomprehensible by
the mass of readers.
One may wade through a column re
hich sounds loudly, in set phrases,
long sentences and apparently wise an
alysis without gathering a single clear
idea Of the method criticised, or Of the
real excellence or the patent error of the
artist
/ Fact is, good criticism must be analy
teal Interpretation but is never in
volved. It Is not to be fault-finding,
| nor yet is It to cover error with the
mantle of mercy. 1t is to be truthful,
simple. strong, direct, unsparing, gen
erous and yet analytical For in the
analysis is to be found the fortifica
ton of the interpretative judgment Of
the critic But it is so easy to string
out paragraphs filed with the techni-
cal catchwords of criticism with the
4
| toplofticaI expressions about art, artis
tic TEN permanent. and all that. and yet
say nothing, convey no idea that will
enlighten the readers mind or aid the
artist to better things.
The chief fault, however, of newspa-
per critical columns is that they are SO
often too personal. They do not take
the reader into confidence nor make
him a part of the circle addressed. They
are too largely discussion, so to speak,
| between performer and critic, between
author and the writer of the review"
OF course no reference is here made to
that body of fine writer's on the greater
press whose whole office is devoted to
examination of literary productions. and
| whose study Is to make clear to the
reader the virtues OF the mistakes of
authors; 90 give TO the reader appetiz-
ing examples of that which is worthy
Of his consideration, and to warn him
against that which Is either not at all
helpful or is mediocre.
Largely the same is true of the analy-
| r1Cdl CllLCLSTl O1 OTdUldLlC 6It, Oh lIlS
greater journals of the day, by men who
study to make their observation exposi-
tory for the reader, and their criticism
helpful to the artist; who never deal in
the slang" SO to speak, the common
phrases and catchwords and set for
mulaes In the criticism Of musical
work, by the way, this dealing in the
technical for reading by the general
public has run to the ridiculous, and be-
come we'll nigh meaningless. We
should be prayerful for the return of
the simple, direct, comprehensive,
strong and helpful methods of such men
as Professor Taylor, for instance.