Background
I.A. Richards (1893–1979) was a major figure in literary criticism and one of the founders of New Criticism.
He was deeply interested in how literature works in the mind of the reader, and his critical project was scientific and psychological.
The quotation comes from Principles of Literary Criticism (1924) — Richards’ landmark book where he laid down the theoretical foundations of modern criticism.
Breaking Down the Concept
(A) Account of Value
Richards believed that literary criticism must explain why literature matters.
A work of art has value not because of external authority (like tradition or moral judgment), but because of the psychological and emotional experience it produces in readers.
For him, literature harmonizes our conflicting impulses, emotions, and desires.
Thus, “value” = the capacity of literature to order experience and provide aesthetic satisfaction.
➡️ Example: Reading a tragedy like King Lear organizes powerful emotions like pity, fear, anger, and compassion into a coherent whole, giving meaning to chaotic human experience.
(B) Account of Communication
Literature is also a form of communication.
A poet or writer tries to communicate complex emotions and ideas through language.
But language is ambiguous, slippery, and easily misinterpreted.
Therefore, a theory of criticism must also study how effectively literature communicates between author and reader.
➡️ Example: A poem is not just private feelings of the poet—it is a communication that must resonate with readers, otherwise it fails as literature.
Why These Two “Pillars”?
Richards says that without:
An account of value → we cannot say why literature is worth reading.
An account of communication → we cannot say how literature achieves its effects.
Together, they provide a complete framework for literary criticism:
Value explains the purpose of literature.
Communication explains the process of literature.
4. Work in Which It Appears
The idea is articulated in Principles of Literary Criticism (1924).
Richards continues and elaborates on these concerns in Practical Criticism (1929), where he analyzes how readers actually interpret poems, testing problems of value and communication in practice.
✅ In summary:
I.A. Richards, in Principles of Literary Criticism (1924), argues that any valid literary theory must explain:
Value – why literature is important and what effect it has on human life.
Communication – how literature conveys meaning and emotions from author to reader.
Year-wise PYQs
