Matthew Arnold: Criticism’s Role in Creativity

The Function of Criticism at the Present Time

Many objections have been made to a proposition that I ventured to put forth in some remarks on translating Homer: a proposition about criticism and its importance at the present day. More than one rejoinder declared that the importance I assigned to criticism was excessive, and asserted the inherent superiority of the creative effort of the human spirit over its critical effort.

The critical power is of lower rank than the creative. True; but in assenting to this proposition, one or two things are to be kept in mind. It is undeniable that the exercise of a creative power, that a free creative activity, is the highest function of man; it is proved to be so by man’s finding in it his true happiness. But it is undeniable, also, that men may have the sense of exercising this free creative activity in other ways than in producing great works of literature or art; if it were not so, all but a very few men would be shut out from the true happiness of all men. They may have it in well-doing, they may have it in learning, they may have it even in criticizing. This is one thing to be kept in mind.

Another is, that the exercise of the creative power in the production of great works of literature or art, however high this exercise of it may rank, is not at all epochs and under all conditions possible; and that therefore labour may be vainly spent in attempting it, which might with more fruit be used in preparing for it, in rendering it possible. This creative power works with elements, with materials; what if it has not those materials, those elements, ready for its use? In that case, it must surely wait till they are ready.

Matthew Arnold, “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time”

Key Points from the Passage

1. The Difference Between Critical Effort and Creative Power

   Critical effort is the act of interpreting a text, focusing on what the text says, and therefore creating new, intelligent ideas about it for others to consider. On the other hand, creative power is the act of producing new works with the help of the ideas and elements that the period provides.

2. Explanation of the Passage’s Meaning

   In this passage, Matthew Arnold acknowledges what others have said about the importance he gives to criticism and provides some arguments to defend his idea. While some attribute more importance to the creative effort, Arnold argues that criticism is also important because both depend on each other. Creative power brings happiness to man in many ways. If the elements needed are not ready for use when someone wants to produce a work of art or literature, Arnold believes those elements and ideas arrive through criticism.

3. Two Arguments in Defense of Literary Criticism

   Arnold proposes two main arguments:

   • The first is that creative power is important, but not everybody exercises it by producing works of literature or art. Therefore, there are other ways, one of them being criticism.
   • The second is that the use of this creative power is not always possible.

   The meaning behind these arguments is that creative power both helps with criticism, and its exercise is not always possible because it needs the ideas and elements of the period, which are, in part, given by criticism itself.