"Poetry was the new religion, a nostalgic haven from the alienations of industrial capitalism. The poem itself was as opaque to rational inquiry as the Almighty himself."
I found this passage disturbing. The New Criticism was almost too obsessed with the idea of poetry and literature rather than the actuality of them. Most authors do not merely write for the sake of writing, it is often to achieve some end however small. The idea that one should forget everything they have ever read or experienced to fully appreciate a poem is preposterous. The writers themselves bring their own thoughts, experiences, and yes, prejudices to their writings, so why do we not?
The idea of literature as God is also disturbing. I understand the comparison of the vaugeness of some works, but to not attempt to understand them is, I believe, an insult to the author. Written language is just as viable a mouthpiece of communication as spoken language. If someone were to merely listen in astonished wonder while another person spoke, while never truly comprehending the meaning of their words, relationships would become as one-sided as man talking to birds.
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