Part II: What is aesthetic criticism?

The etymology of the word ‘criticism’ points towards an evaluative practice. Over time, however, ‘criticism’ has become capacious, referring to all manner of commentary and study of texts. One outcome of this is that the evaluative dimension is no longer central and is in many cases non-existent. Aesthetic criticism, however, is the specific branch of criticism that prioritises the evaluation of form and style – what may be called the ‘practical wing of evaluative aesthetics’. Part II illustrates its principles through a series of topics, including evaluation, interpretation, analysis and close reading.